Gun laws don’t go far enough
The Arms Amendment Act of 1992 followed the Aramoana shootings and a Law and Order Select Committee investigation of the illegal possession of firearms was inspired by an increase in firearm seizures.
The committee set three questions. How widespread is firearm possession among gangs and other criminals? How do criminals and gangs come to possess firearms if they lack licenses? And what changes could restrict the flow of firearms to criminals? Context is important. Firearms are used in only 1.4 per cent of violent crime in New Zealand, which is low by international standards. And as the vast majority of 242,056 licensed firearm holders are lawabiding, the committee felt restrictions on criminal access must not impinge unfairly on them.
The cross-party committee finished with 20 recommendations, which had the backing of the Police Association. But Police Minister Paula Bennett has accepted only seven of the recommendations and wants changes to one more. Twelve of 20 recommendations were flatly rejected.
Should the Government have listened more carefully to the committee and taken on board a greater number of their recommendations? Gun ownership has traditionally been seen as a privilege rather than a right in New Zealand, but Bennett’s rejection of rules suggested by the committee tips the balance back.
Among the rejected recommendations are suggestions that police should be allowed to enter premises to check firearms safety and should record serial numbers.
The Police Association believes Bennett has been influenced by the gun lobby. One of her additions to the list of recommendations seems to confirm this. Bennett has proposed that the police must ‘‘improve its consultative processes with the firearms community’’, which suggests she has been swayed by that ‘‘community’’.
The Government has tried to pitch Bennett’s backdown as a tightening of the rules around access to firearms. As a tough-ongangs policy it is definitely a headline grabber, as Bennett has backed the select committee’s view that gang members and prospects are by definition not ‘‘fit and proper’’ people who should own guns in New Zealand. She could have gone much further to ensure we remain safe from the dangers of gun ownership we see elsewhere.