COLFO Outraged by Firearms Safety Authority Inaction

COLFO PR
5 days ago
3 min read

COLFO PRESS RELEASE || 4 FEBRUARY 2026

The Council of Licensed Firearm Owners (COLFO) is outraged and deeply disappointed with the Firearms Safety Authority (Te Tari Pūreke) for its failure to notify licensed firearm owners of the Arms Bill consultation properly. The Authority holds contact details for all licensed owners yet refuses to email them directly.

Although the Ministry of Justice leads the Arms Act rewrite, Te Tari Pūreke supports this through its channels, mainly its Facebook page. It made one detailed post on 15 January 2026 that announced 32 days remained until the closing date of 16 February 2026, and provided information on how licensed firearm owners could make their voices heard. This single social media update, which misses the over-50 demographic of license holders who are likely not frequent users of social media, does not meet the Authority's obligations.

"Te Tari Pūreke's single post fails to meet the expectations of the community they serve. The Authority holds owners' contact details and could email every licensed firearm owner to let them know of the bill, which affects all of their licenses, yet is shifting responsibility to Justice. Justice has the neutrality to properly conduct the consultation, but none of the contacts required to spread the information widely during this key period" said COLFO Spokesperson Hegh Devereux-Mack.

When questioned why they had not been proactive in using the tools at their disposal, Te Tari Pūreke provided this statement via Facebook:

"Hi team, The Arms Act rewrite is being led by the Ministry of Justice, and they are the government Ministry with responsibility for supporting the proposed law change. They have been letting New Zealanders know about the possibility of change and the opportunity to make a submission – which they have done via traditional and social media. Te Tari Pūreke has supported this with messaging through our channels, including our Facebook page. Of course, there has also been quite a bit of media coverage, and sector organisations such as COLFO have also been spreading the word. You can read more about the process and what is changing here: https://www.justice.govt.nz/about/news-and-media/news/arms-act-rewrite-decisions-announced/. Guidance on making a submission can be found on Parliament’s ‘How to make a submission’ web page: www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/how-to-make-a-submission/."

COLFO views this response as insufficient. "Te Tari Pūreke receives funding from fees paid by licensed firearm owners. It operates as a multi-million dollar government department, so it should use all tools available to inform owners and gather their input for effective firearms laws. Instead, TTP has indicated they are doing less than volunteers, community groups, and organisations like COLFO to perform this work," stated Devereux-Mack

Many licensed owners exceed 50 years of age, and Te Tari Pūreke's own data confirms this; these individuals often do not engage with social media. A single Facebook post excludes a large portion of the community of 232,000 licensed firearm owners who are affected by this consultation. "COLFO would like to know whether direct emails from FSA were even proposed to the Ministry of Justice to strengthen their communication plan. And if not, why not when it is an obvious strategy?" asked Devereux-Mack.

"At best, this response and approach highlight a disconnect between the Firearms Safety Authority, the Ministry of Justice, and licensed firearm owners. It also reveals a lack of care or concern for the community they govern, which Firearms Safety Authority employees have reported to COLFO through our whistleblower function. At worst, it could be seen as deliberate inaction to suppress views the Authority may not want to hear from the community it must work with."

"This inaction damages the trust and confidence that licensed firearm owners hold in the Firearms Safety Authority. It risks reversing their efforts, which produced positive results in our 2025 survey. To build trust with the community they govern, the Authority must prioritise securing the consent of those affected. Effective stakeholder management requires involving individuals who must follow new rules in their creation. This approach fosters collaboration rather than a feeling of resentment against a dictatorial power that can risk civil disobedience."

COLFO urges Te Tari Pūreke to act immediately. Email all licensed owners with details of the consultation, and extend the submission closing date by 10 working days. This ensures inclusive input, and it strengthens the process for fair, effective laws.

The submission deadline is 11.59pm on Monday, 16 February 2026.

Submission guidance is available at: https://www.colfo.org/arms-bill-signup

/ENDS