The extension of the Royal Commission report to 30 April 2020 means all other government responses to the mosque attack should be equally delayed, according to the Council of Licenced Firearms Owners (COLFO).

The Government is hearing submissions on Arms Legislation related to the attack, and on 20 December a range of firearms will become illegal to own – and the current hand-in and compensation programme will cease.

COLFO Spokesperson Nicole McKee said if the Commission needs more time to unravel the mosque attack, then the Government needs more time to work out if its Arms Legislation addresses errors that allowed the mosque attack, and whether its firearm ban will recover enough firearms to prevent another mass shooting or will feed a large number of firearms to organised crime.

“Extend one part of the response to the mosque attack and you should extend them all.

“The extension required for a considered look by the Commission makes a mockery of the rushed and badly drafted firearm rules the Government is introducing.

“The report on what went wrong and what the State could do in the future will now arrive about a year after the Government decided the answer was the firearm ban and Arms legislation.”

She said the extension came in the same week that the Police begun speeding up the Auckland hand-in and announced the hand-in programme via dealers would shut only weeks after starting.

“This is absurd; the Government acknowledges more time is needed to unravel the reasons behind the mosque attacks yet is speeding up conclusion of its response.” Nicole McKee said.

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