These were announced today and as expected, include:-
- Establishing a firearms register
- Make owning a gun a “privilege” that comes with obligations
- Tightening the rules to obtain and keep a gun licence
- Tightening the rules for gun dealers to get and keep a licence
- Requiring licences to be renewed every five years instead of 10
- Not allowing visitors to purchase guns in New Zealand [a clear allusion to the Christchurch shooter who was a visitor from Australia —Eds]
- Introducing a new warning system for police so they can intervene if they have concerns about a licence holder’s behaviour
- Introducing a licencing system for shooting clubs and ranges
- Setting up an expert group to advise the police on firearms
- Introducing new advertising standards around guns
- Requiring licences to buy magazines, parts and ammunition
- Increasing penalties and introduce new offences
Comment on the Kiwi Gun Blog:
The government rejected an independent body to oversee the Arms Act – as was recommended by an independent inquiry.
Experts have always maintained that there is no benefit to the ten year renewal system [instead of lifetime] for firearm licences. Police have admitted that this achieves nothing.
Nobody turns mad, bad or sad in ten yearly cycles. It is a complete waste of time and financial resources. Problem people simply come to the attention of the Police. Action is taken. Job done.
But [the Kiwi Gun Blog editor] wanted the hard numbers and so asked Police:
Is there any evidence to suggest a lower rate of firearm offending by holders of a NZ firearms licence since the lifetime licence was scrapped?
- In the five years before the change, 359 offenders committed 500 offences.
- In the five years after the change, 350 offenders committed 503 offences.
So after the millions spent and the time wasted – three more offences occurred over five years.
In other words – almost identical results. No benefit to the new renewal system.
Shooters had hoped that the government would set aside emotion [no chance of that with Jacinda — Eds] and base our firearm regulations on facts and reality. We hoped that they would save millions and return to the lifetime license.
Investing those resources into actual police work.
But no.
Instead they let the extremist Police Union dictate our laws.
A five year license serves one purpose – to harass shooters out of our sport.
Oh, how many times did the government mention punishing criminals in this new batch of controls?
Not once.
Even as horror stories fill the news. A man beats a woman. Terrorises her. Kicking down doors in her home. Chases her down in a car as she flees. He is then found with a stolen, highly restricted pistol and gets… home detention.
But the only increased penalties are for us. The lawful shooter.
It is interesting to note that when Police were asked if there had been any benefit to the ten year system – they had no idea. Nobody had ever checked.
They never do. They just add mindless new ‘controls’. Regardless of cost.
[MPs must] now decide if you want to be safer or feel safer.
Please reject this stupidity.
Jacinda and Stuart Nash won’t heed the latter appeal, but there is a strong likelihood that this time the National Party will. —Eds
All a bit over the top.
How on earth will National rid the country off pests by 2050 now, or does anything that john key promised becomes null and void now he’s gone.
Well if you want to shoot at more than 7 pests in one go, you’ll need to bring two rifles with you now. And you’ll register them and relicense yourself every 5 years now. Excellent news for bureaucrats which Jacdina and her cohort love.