New Zealand’s civilian firearms ownership regime underwent a seismic shift in 2019, in the aftermath of a shooting spree by a foreign nihilist. In its wake and contrary to conventional gun control dogma, New Zealand is now in the grip of a wave of illegal firearms incidents. This has led many who were initially supportive of the 2019 and 2020 changes to question them. ACT Firearms Law Reform spokesperson and MP Nicole McKee has a proposed member’s Bill that aims to see fairness partially restored for licenced firearms owners, and discussed it with The Daily Examiner’s Victoria O’Brien.

The Arms (Repeal for Practical Use) Amendment Bill has yet to be drawn from the biscuit tin and was published to Parliament’s website on 21 October 2021. It is aimed entirely at legislative changes that were contained in the Arms Legislation Act that was enacted in 2020 (also known colloquially as the 2nd Tranche).

“After our nation’s tragedy in Christchurch, a number of changes were made to the Arms Act that went too far. They undermined trust in the firearms community and did not present changes to make New Zealand a safer place. In several areas, the amendments have the potential to create more harm,” says Nicole McKee.

“My Bill will create a better balance in the regulation of firearm use. This is the first and easiest step towards creating a better and more comprehensive firearms regime. The changes made by the Arms Legislation Act 2020 have made complying with the law onerous and costly to many, including clubs and organisations that run on volunteer time and manpower to run effectively.”

“Repealing these unnecessary burdens will re-balance the law, removing the inflexibility in the regime and the extra costs on law abiding firearm users. This Bill, therefore, removes provisions that do not assist in keeping New Zealand safe, make New Zealand a less safe place and create unnecessary cost with no benefit to the wider community.”

In particular the Bill:
• removes provisions relating the yet to be established firearms register;
• removes the new provisions and requirements on clubs and ranges;
• removes the excessive regulation making powers contained in sections 74A and 74B;
• rationalises a number of penalties for offences.

“Law abiding firearms users have been punished unnecessarily by these rushed laws. It’s time to bring some fairness back to Kiwis who have a love of sport and hunting.”

It is highly unlikely, however, that McKee’s proposed Bill would progress past its First Reading, even if it succeeded in being drawn from the biscuit tin. With Labour holding an outright majority of seats in Parliament and the Green Party also firmly in support of the 2nd Tranche in its entirety, this proposed Bill will likely be struck down at the outset.

From a voter appeal perspective then, McKee was asked why she did not make far wider proposed changes in her Bill, that would target not just the 2nd tranche but also the 1st, and restore more fairness to licenced owners.

McKee is of the view that the March 2019 shooting created a schism in the firearms community, that resulted in split views on whether centrefire semi-automatic rifles should have been allowed to continue to be owned by licenced civilians. She believes she has to represent the views of the firearms community as a whole and as such, did not campaign on a repeal of the prohibition of centrefire semi-automatic rifles, as contained in the Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines, and Parts) Amendment Act 2019 (also known colloquially as the 1st Tranche).

With 119 of 120 MPs having voted for the 1st Tranche, McKee also sees political appetite for such a repeal as being highly unlikely. Support from the National Party would be imperative for any success and, with all their MPs having voted for it, it would require a major political reversal, especially under its current leadership.

McKee is working on a complete rewrite of the arms legislation for New Zealand, which would repeal the entire Arms Act 1983 and its subsequent amendments. This substantial endeavour is expected to be available for public consultation in 8-12 months. Such a document is likely to include ownership categories and a sporting exemption in particular, which National has already indicated it might have the appetite to consider.

Kiwis who have lost their regular hunting rifles will, however, have to wait a lot longer to see changes, if any, that might restore what had been part of the New Zealand way of life.

Image from Guns.com.