Owning a firearm ‘a privilege’
The Government says new rules to tighten up New Zealand’s gun laws will prevent the flow of guns into the black market.
Legislation will now confirm that owning a firearm is a privilege, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.
Yesterday, Ardern and Police Minister Stuart Nash announced the Government was taking the steps to ensure gun ownership was restricted to responsible users and stop the black market trade of guns, at an event in Christchurch that marked six months since the terror attack.
It follows criticism from the National Party, which last month saw a leaked early draft of the bill and revealed they were unlikely to support it because it hit law-abiding firearms owners and gun clubs the hardest, rather than gangs and genuine criminals.
The new laws will include an online, self-service firearms registry, similar to the motor vehicle register operated by the NZ Transport Agency.
It will also see new offences and harsher penalties and the firearms licence period shortened from 10 years to five years, which will also be required to buy firearm parts, magazines, and ammunition. A dealer’s licences will also be tightened by broadening the range of activities for which a dealer licence will be required.
A new system of warning flags will be set up to show if a person may not be a fit and proper person to hold a firearms licence.
Health practitioners will also be able notify police if they have concerns about a licence firearms owner’s health or wellbeing and a licensing regime for shooting clubs and ranges would be created.
A Police Commissioner’s Firearms Advisory Group will also be set up to ensure the gun laws are enforced and will include people from within and outside the firearms community.
The Opposition had urged the Government to get serious on criminals and look at beefing up the law, by adding Firearm Prohibition Orders (FPO) but the Government has initially rejected this.
It has asked police to do more work to design an FPO system to restrict access to firearms by serious violent offenders.
In April, the Government took action to remove military style semi-automatics to ensuring communities were as protected as they can be from the potential for another horrific attack like March 15, Ardern said.
Now the new laws would prevent firearms from reaching the hands of criminals, she said.
Every person who was currently found guilty of selling or supplying a firearm to an unlicensed person was liable for a term of imprisonment not exceeding three months or a fine of $1000. The Bill would increase those penalties to two years and $20,000 respectively.
It will also be a new offence for providing information to the registry known to be false or misleading, with a maximum penalty of $20,000 or two years imprisonment.
Some of the changes in the Bill would improve the ability to monitor firearms lawfully entering and exiting the country and enhance the Government’s ability to combat organised crime, Ardern said.
Nash said the police needed to have the tools and legislation and all the significant changes in the Bill were needed.
The Arms Legislation Bill will be introduced to Parliament on Friday. An investigation into the Labour scandal may only cover the actual sexual assault allegations – not the party’s reaction to them.
The draft terms of reference for QC Maria Dew’s investigation, seen by Stuff, are generally limited to the alleged sexual assault and bullying itself, not the party’s process in dealing with them – which has formed a large part of the political scandal engulfing the party. More funding will be provided for Canterbury mental health services to help respond to the ongoing impacts of the March 15 terror attack.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was in Christchurch yesterday to announce Cabinet had approved a further $8.68 million for mental health services over the next three years. This was on top of $8.5m invested in Budget 2019 in response to the March 15 shootings.
Her visit comes two days before the six-month anniversary of the attack on two Christchurch mosques that left 51 people dead and scores more wounded. Mental health services in the region, already under pressure, have experienced an increase in demand since.
The extra funding will provide more support, including treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other serious issues, cultural competency training for GPs, extending free GP consultations for those directly affected by the attacks, and community mental health and addiction support.
Ardern, who visited West Spreydon School with Greater Christchurch Regeneration Minister Megan Woods, said: ‘‘As we mark six months since the horrific events of 15 March we remember the remarkable community spirit and unity that was on display in the weeks that followed.
‘‘But we also acknowledge we will be dealing with the trauma of that day for years to come.’’
The Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB), which posted a draft operating deficit of $112m in the 2018-19 year, had done an incredible job responding to the attack, Arden said. However, she acknowledged there was still more work to be done.
‘‘It’s vital that survivors, families, the Muslim community and the people of Christchurch know that we will be there to support them for the long haul.’’
Arden said the extra funding was not ring-fenced for survivors, but was intended for services responding to the impacts of March 15.
Stuff revealed in May the Ministry of Health had agreed to fund a major mental health recovery plan submitted by the CDHB in consultation with city leaders and other agencies. The plan estimated an initial three-year recovery period.
It said most people affected by the terror attack would experience some level of distress, and all would benefit from support. While most people would recover with time, others were at risk of developing long-lasting problems, such as PTSD, depression and anxiety disorders.