Govt set to waste $100m on firearms registration

GOVERNMENT ABOUT TO WASTE $100 MILLION ON FIREARMS REGISTRATION

If the Government is serious about spending where it is most needed, the Firearms Registration Bill should be thrown out and instead taxpayer’s cash should be put into health, policing or education projects that will bring community returns, according the New Zealand Council of Licensed Firearms Owners (COLFO).

COLFO executive director, John Howat, said that Parliamentarians will this week debate, and maybe pass, an unworkable Bill that will cost an estimated $100 million to set up and run.

“This flies in the face of Australian and Canadian registration, various New Zealand Police organisations and comments by Sir Thomas Thorp in his Review of Firearms Control in New Zealand,” said John Howat.

“There is no evidence to suggest there is any relationship between the registration of firearms and their control” – NZ Police Support Service Directorate, September 1982

“…it seems to be just an elaborate system of arithmetic with no tangible aim.” “…firearms registration and the way in which it is implemented is costly, ineffective and achieves little. In my view [it] does not repress or control the criminal misuse of, or irresponsible use firearms.” (He also made the following recommendation) “I would therefor recommend that firearms registration be forthwith abolished.” Chief Inspector A Newgreen, the Registrar of Firearms for the State of Victoria, Australia 26 February 1987

“Although the idea of universal registration has a superficial appeal, it is far from clear that it would be worth the priority and resources that would have to be devoted to it.” “It is an undertaking that should only be considered after a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis has shown that it would indeed have major benefits for public safety. It may be too costly to establish an effective registration in any case given the shrinking resources available for the protection of public safety.” – Research Branch of the Canadian Library of Parliament, 17 August 1994.

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“There is little evidence that a registration system would be instrumental either in solving serious crime involving firearms or preventing them”. The majority of firearms used in serious crime do not belong to the offender and are usually stolen, unlawfully in their possession or supplied by other than a licensed owner.”– Police Executive Council, 28 May 1996

“…unless a compliance rate of not less that 90 percent can be achieved, the benefits derived from registration would be significantly reduced” – Sir Thomas Thorp, 30 June 1997

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