23 JULY 2019

The next round of proposed Arms Act Amendments will further alienate law abiding firearms licence holders from the Government, according to the NZ Outdoors Party.

The Prime Minister announced her intent to introduce a gun register, halve the current ten year firearms licence period, and increasing the stringency of licence application vetting, along with a number of other changes.

Co-Leader, David Haynes said “This is another attack on law abiding citizens and on the face of it will do nothing to prevent firearms related crime. When captain of the NZ America’s Cup Team, Sir Peter Blake referred every idea back to one question, “does it make the boat go faster?”

Likewise, the people of New Zealand should be asking “will this prevent arms going into the hands of criminals?”

Haynes said “Much of what has been proposed, such as requiring a firearms licence to purchase ammunition, already exists. Similarly anyone with a history of violence, substance abuse and a criminal history will not be issued a licence. We are equally concerned that this Government does not seem familiar with current legislation.”

Haynes believes the proposed changes will be a colossal waste of tax payers’ money.

Advocates for gun control believe that knowing how many firearms there are in New Zealand, and who owns them, will reduce firearms related crime. The register will cover all lawful firearms licence holders and their legal firearms.

It will not, of course, include any criminals or illegally owned guns.

If a gun register could be shown to reduce crime, there is no doubt that lawful firearms owners would happily register their guns accordingly. But it won’t because the criminals and their guns won’t be on it. Gang leaders have made it clear they will not hand in their now banned semi-automatics https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12217785, yet alone register their illegal ownership of illegal firearms.

The Outdoors Party is asking the Government to wait for the outcome of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Christchurch massacre before attempting law changes.

Should the Outdoors Party gain seats in the next General Election they will scrap these latest proposed changes.

END

© Scoop Media