Statements made by Abdur Razzaq Khan, from the Federation of Islamic Associations, as reported by RNZ need refuting says the President of the Sporting Shooters Association of New Zealand, Thomas Hemphill.

"Khan could not believe the government would not implement mandatory reporting of firearms injuries by health professionals to police, considering the terrorist accidentally shot himself before the attack and went to Dunedin Hospital.

If reported, it could have been a red flag around his firearms ownership.

However, Collins was not even aware of that fact.

Khan said such reporting could have prevented the 15 March shootings.

"The terrorist went to a hospital ... if that was reported to the police would we have this terrorism? No.

"This [binning the reporting recommendation] is the doing, I believe, of the arms lobby led by the arms lobbyist, Minister [Nicole] McKee, and they are running this country.”"

In responding to the comments made by Khan (above) Hemphill had this to say: "We as a firearms lobby group have never opposed the reporting of firearm injuries, in fact it is an offence under the 1983 Arms Act, punishable by 3 months imprisonment or a fine of $1,000, not to do so. Nor are we aware of any other firearms group that has lobbied for this recommendation to be ignored.”

"It is also highly questionable whether the terrorists' accidental firearm injury, if reported to Dunedin Police, would have influenced the subsequent tragic outcome, since we know from Official Information Requests that Police do not keep records of such events, and as the Royal Commission found Dunedin Police were not on the ball in relation to firearm licence matters at this time."

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