OUR FRIEND IN PARLIAMENT

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An understanding hand and another voice for licensed Firearms Owners. 

At last another advocate for licensed firearms owners putting their hand up on our behalf. 

Previous COLFO Spokeswoman Nicole McKee has announced she has been asked by the ACT party to stand for Parliament in Wellington, and has been given number three on the party list. 

She has accepted because she says she wants to bring “commonsense and practicalities” back into Government.

Since the Christchurch shooting last year, she has frequently appeared in the media to criticise the Government’s gun reforms and the speed at which they were passed.

“I’ve been watching the erosion of a democratic process with our legislation over the last three years, and it’s become incredibly frustrating to be one of those persons on the outside,” 

Realising that there are around 250,000 licensed firearms owners, all with families and friends, the political power has been overlooked by other parties, so it is little wonder that ACT have stepped up and are now asking the Government and others the hard questions. 

Sadly some members of the media have already attacked Nicole and the ACT party for their stand, that being seen as an easy target to highlight as the general public have little understanding of firearms and their usage, however members of shooting clubs and organisations are already throwing their support behind the move by ACT and the work Nicole is setting out to achieve. 

For example, the Sporting Shooters Association of New Zealand are welcoming the move and are urging their members, all of whom are licensed owners, to make Nicole’s move a positive and, as she says, to bring common sense and practicalities back to Government. 

The election date is 19th September Our

BLACK THURSDAY

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Thursday the 18th June 2020 will go down as the blackest day in New Zealand Firearm history with the passing of the Arms Legislation Bill 2019.

This Bill introduced by the Labour lead coalition government in response to the 15 March 2019 Christchurch Terror attack, includes a Register of ALL firearms, Registration of all shooting clubs and ranges, removes Doctor-patient confidentiality for Mental Health issues and the right to silence for licensed firearm owners.  In addition, it introduces more offenses and harsher penalties. And many complex regulations.

While its aim as stated by the government is to keep guns out of the hands of bad guys and make New Zealanders safer, it does the opposite.

Hear what Act leader David Seymour had to say about it in the final speech 

 

THE SHAME OF STUART NASH MINISTER OF POLICE

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On the day that the Arms Legislation Bill 2019, which introduces the most strict firearm control laws in New Zealand history, was debated by Parliament it was revealed that Brenton Tarrant the Christchurch terrorist was granted a firearms licence through failings in Police procedure.

It has been revealed that Tarrant who arrived in New Zealand in August 2017 was granted his firearm licence in November of the same year, which allowed him to buy the guns and ammunition that allowed him to kill 51 people at two Christchurch mosques on the 15 March 2019.  In assessing his suitability to hold a licence sources within police say the Police Vetting Officers failed to carry out the correct procedure.  Instead of interviewing two referees who knew the subject for at least 2 years, one to be a close family member, a father, and son who only knew Tarrant through an internet chat room were questioned. More here.

When questioned in Parliament the next day Nash claimed to have no knowledge of the Police error and stated that Police had advised him in March 2019 that the correct vetting procedures had been followed. Watch video.

Rather than await the outcome of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Christchurch killings, Nash has pressed ahead with pushing the new Bill through parliament, stating that its aim is to prevent bad guys from getting hold of guns and keeping New Zealanders safe. 

HAVE NZ FIRST SOLD FIREARM OWNERS DOWN THE RIVER ?

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Speculation is rife that NZ First has done a deal with Labour to allow the Arms Legislation Bill 2019 to pass into law this week.  With National and Act Parties both indicating their opposition to this new gun control Bill the Labour lead government needs NZ First support to pass into law the most draconian gun control laws in New Zealand history.

The Bill will require all firearms to be registered, all shooting clubs and gun ranges to approved and certified, require doctors to report on the mental health of Licensed Firearm Owners, and allow new regulations to impose additional conditions on firearm ownership. There will be stricter criteria for being judged as a “fit and proper” person to be a licence holder and stiffer penalties, up to 10 years in prison, for failure to comply with the many complex provisions of the Bill.

Shooting organisations such as SSANZ, COLFO, and many other organisations and individuals have fought tooth and nail through the shortened submission process to put forward sound arguments opposing this Bill, it would seem we are about to find out if we have been listened to.

One lasting travesty of this anti-gun Bill is that the government did not see fit to await the outcome of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the March 2019 terror attack in Christchurch that was the catalyst for this legislation.