What Does COLFO Do?
- Michael Dowling
- Oct 3
- 4 min read
Words by COLFO Vice-Chair Michael Dowling
Michael Dowling presents Nicole McKee with her korowai after she won her place as a member of parliament.
From time to time, I hear the question asked: What does COLFO do?
I must admit I wrestle with the answer because a lot of what we do is unseen but today I'm going to draw back the curtain in hope of answering that question for all licensed firearm owners who are not yet members, but benefit from our work on their behalf.
Our Core Activities
From deconflicting disciplines, so we do not inadvertently trample on one another's sport.
We bring firearm owners in to comment on their own, or in support of other disciplines, on issues that may affect all or just some firearm owners.
We work at various technical levels in Government and agencies, to ensure unintended consequences of legislation and regulation do not occur. But when they do, we lobby or take legal action to improve the rules.
We engage with lawmakers to improve rules, through the various committees they work in.
It tends to be a long-term focus, which is difficult to define as weekly progress, but over years it pays off.
At a media level we counter emotive based reporting, to bring evidence-based conversation into the decision making.
We focus on using data and leading safety discussions and promoting best practice from international disciplines to assist in public guidance and parliamentary submissions.
We stand for a fair and reasonable process for those that want to comply with the legislative requirements.
Direct Advocacy in Parliament
When one of our volunteers decided to become a Member of Parliament, we had the opportunity to advocate to Parliament directly as decisions are made. Engaging in conversations through a person with an understanding of various disciplines and safety, with firearms. To dispel biased positions with the truth, as firearm owners understand it, at the most crucial time.
Supporting Legal Actions
We also support individual legal actions where the outcome will help the majority either highlighting an unintended consequence or setting legal precedent.
We have also built a whistleblower function to help hold police, firearms safety authority, or other members of the firearms community to account and improve outcomes for us all.
Measuring Our Impact
Our actions can be measured in the issues avoided, as much as the outcomes achieved.
We cannot crow loudly about what we do, as we are only another decision away from the reverse being introduced by those who oppose all firearms ownership.
It is also worth noting this work is done on a voluntary basis, we do not withdraw any member money for our time. Sometimes our volunteers are subjected to personal attack in the media, we are careful to respond to the issue and not the individual.
Our Greatest Achievement: Shifting the Narrative
Our greatest achievement over the last five years has not been through the above actions though.
Soon after the attacks in March 2019, licenced firearm owners were portrayed as enabling the terrorist action. We were demonised by the press, some political parties, anti-firearm groups, even a Government Agency, charged with controlling firearms, along with their union. They fed rhetoric to the media intended to be divisive. The intent was to isolate licenced firearm owners from the majority of the population, based on culture, race, age and gender boundaries.
COLFO at the Outdoor Expo in Christchurch 2024 alongside Fiordland Wapiti Foundation
Rebuilding Inclusivity
Collectively, we have changed that narrative over time. So that the majority of New Zealanders understand we are inclusive. Most members talk about their hobbies and sports as being family or community based.
We have been able to show in reality, our membership goes beyond the externally imposed boundaries. The true makeup of the firearms community spans race, age and gender identities.
Engaging in a Divided World
We live in an age when activists, on all sides of an argument, believe their cause justifies their use of intimidation, threats, violence and even death to make their point. It is important that, as representatives of firearm owners, we show we can engage in debate with researched arguments, delivered with a steady thoughtful approach, intended to create safer outcomes.
Facing Societal Challenges
As a society we face many issues, like most western societies. They surface as inequality, inequity, demand for limited resources, loss of social support, social integration, social connection. These issues affect race, age and gender in different and complex ways. That is why assigning the blame for the issues to marginalised activity works so well. Uncontrolled firearms do not help a society in this position, however they are not the cause of the issues.
To address the issues we need long-term cross-government agreement that spans more than a single electoral term to improve life for all citizens. We cannot accept the arguments that these are caused by one race, age group, gender or hobby. Wars have been, and still are, based on this belief.
The solution will require different support and improvement for each group that is affected. For some the ability to hunt to put meat on the table is an important lever to improve their lifestyle. For others the stalk and hunting with your mates for a weekend is an important stress relief.
The Purposes of the Arms Act
The purposes of this Act are to
(a) promote the safe possession and use of firearms and other weapons; and
(b) impose controls on the possession and use of firearms and other weapons.
The balance between the two purposes is important, controls should define when the law is broken but not impose unreasonable hurdles for those who want to comply with the law.
The Pitfalls of More Rules
It is easy to say we just need more rules to give people, who do not care for or understand the detail, the impression they are safer. The problem is criminals do not follow the rules, creating new rules will be ignored like the old rules. New rules that do not make us any safer end up frustrating those that chose to obey in the first place.
Join Us Now
With the Arms Act rewrite expected soon, now is the perfect time to join COLFO, even if it is just for a year, to help ensure we have the best chance at good firearm laws into the future.
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