Not something she would have done: PM
WELLINGTON: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has stopped short of criticising New Zealand First Minister Shane Jones for shooting a gun, banned in New Zealand, at a firing range while on holiday.
Ms Ardern said yesterday it was not something she would have done.
But she added it was not for her to individually monitor the activities of every minister when they travelled overseas.
Earlier yesterday, photos of Mr Jones shooting a semiautomatic weapon were posted on Facebook by Mr Jones’ wife, Dot Jones.
Mr Jones claimed yesterday his use of the gun at a firing range in Thailand last Friday was ‘‘international research’’.
A firearm expert confirmed the gun was an AR15 — one of the guns banned in New Zealand after the March 15 terror attacks.
‘‘Would I have done it? Absolutely not,’’ Ms Ardern said.
‘‘But the most important thing for me is that that Minister [Jones] supports what this Government has done, and he does.’’
Mr Jones, along with all New Zealand First MPs, voted in favour of the law which banned most semiautomatic weapons and highcapacity magazines in New Zealand earlier this year.
She had not spoken to Mr Jones about his visit to the firing range as she had only become aware of the situation shortly before her 4pm press conference yesterday.
Asked if she planned on speaking to him, she said: ‘‘I’m sure when I see him next I will raise it’’.
Asked about the photos yesterday, Mr Jones said he was conducting ‘‘international research’’.
‘‘The decisions that our Cabinet have made as to what types of arsenal are and are not legal is something I thoroughly agree with. We shouldn’t be hosting them here.
‘‘I think I will regard my brief experience with said gun as part of international research — but I wouldn’t catastrophise one photo.’’
Before he went on holiday about two weeks ago, Ms Ardern asked Mr Jones to take with him the Cabinet manual, the rule book for ministers, and refamiliarise himself with it.
Her comments came after Mr Jones allegedly said forestry industry players needed to vote for him or they might miss out on the billions he was handing out for provincial growth.
Asked if Mr Jones had taken her advice and refamiliarised himself with the manual, Ms Ardern said she would be following up on that when she spoke to him about the firearm photos. — The New Zealand Herald