The biggest overhaul of gun regulations in more than 40 years has passed into law.
Among the changes brought by the Arms Bill are a new firearms regulator removing police from oversight duties, restrictions for gang members and a host of new offences and penalties.
National and ACT agreed to rewrite the Arms Act – in place since the early 1980s – as part of its coalition arrangement.
The legislation has had many iterations, more recently a ban on semi-automatics and a new firearms regulator, introduced after the March 15 terror attacks in 2019.
Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee said the changes would improve public safety, keeping guns out of the hands of criminals while making it easier for licensed firearm owners to comply with the law, and be trusted and respected.
In her speech to Parliament on Wednesday during the third reading, McKee said opposition parties and the media had demonised gun owners and conflated them as criminals.
“The reality is the legislation that went through in 2019 and 2020, rushed as it was, without any consultation, without due select committee process, didn’t address the issue of unlicensed criminal behaviour. Instead, it pointed the finger at those that conform and those that do behave,” she said.
“These legislative changes that we’re making will do some greatness, I think, towards being able to show and build trust and confidence in a regime again.”
McKee referenced changes including separating the Firearms Safety Authority from Police, regulating large capacity pistol magazines, introducing infringement notices rather than revoking licenses, extending dealer license durations and banning gang members from having licenses.
For her speech she wore a korowai, gifted from the Council of Licensed Firearms Owners (COLFO).
“They placed it around my shoulders, and they told me that I had the weight of licensed firearm owners around my shoulders,” she said.
“I have hung this korowai in my office for the last six years, and every time I’ve made a decision about firearms, I’ve looked at the wall and I’ve looked at that, and I’ve had the best intent for all firearm licence holders throughout New Zealand in every decision that we’ve made.”
Labour’s Duncan Webb told the House that McKee’s claim that gun owners had been demonised was not accurate.
“The minister referred to the reforms that all but one member of this House, at the time, supported, which was to put an effective ban on semi-automatic weapons.”
Labour supported responsible firearms regulation, and it had cooperated with other parties to make the bill more workable, said Webb.
But the party still disagreed with removing police as the regulator, he said, calling the move “strange”.
“We think the police are the proper agency to supervise the use of firearms.”
Webb said McKee had listened to COLFO, the lobby group that she was formerly closely involved with.
Most of the changes would come into effect on 23 September, with the remaining provisions by 23 February 2028.