I am very pleased to confirm today that with ACT in Government, I announced my overall work programme to reform New Zealand’s outdated and complicated firearms laws.
The Arms Act has been in place for over 40 years. It has been amended several times – in a piecemeal, and sometimes rushed way. This has resulted in outdated and complicated requirements that unfairly target licenced firearms owners, often with no clear benefit to public safety.
Today I was at Fieldays for the announcement of my work plan, as campaigned on by ACT and promised in our coalition agreement with National.
We need to find simple, workable solutions that respect the rights of licenced firearms owners while delivering tangible safety outcomes. Rather than the rushed 'government-knows-best' approach, that we have seen in the past, New Zealanders will have the chance to make their voices heard.
Rewriting the Act is Phase 4 of a four-part programme of overlapping reform. The first three phases are already underway:
• Legislation is before Parliament to strengthen firearms prohibitions orders and increase powers to search gang members for firearms.
• Proposals for the simple and effective regulation of shooting clubs are out for consultation with stakeholder groups.
• The Firearms Registry is being reviewed, and ACT’s coalition agreement commits to transferring the Firearms Safety Authority from Police to another Government department.
This work is only possible because of your support for ACT’s campaign for Fair Firearms Laws. Thank you for your support.
Hon Nicole McKee
ACT Spokesperson for Firearms
Associate Minister of Justice
Hi Nicole.
One of the things that should be done away with is limited licensing. There is no practical difference between a ten-year license and a lifetime license, expect the ten-year license consumes police/administration resources every decade.
Labour's "five-year" license would have made no difference to Tarrant because he had his license for two years when he committed his vile crimes.
Pretty much everything Labour did could only fit the skit from Yes Minister.
"We had to do something."
"That was something."
"We had to do it."
There is one thing that did change for the better, as I understand it. Previously if you had a B-Cat you could only purchase handguns that fit the limits of the range you…