"A lot of previous Labour supporters have told us that they will not support Labour in the coming election." said John Howat, Executive Director of the New Zealand Council of Licensed Firearms Owners Inc (COLFO).

"I am truly amazed at the number of previously staunch Labour supporters including Union Delegates and Shop Stewards, who have contacted COLFO to say that they won't be voting for Labour this time around" said Mr Howat. "They have made the decision because of the Labour Party's firearms policies, a single issue that is very important to a lot of New Zealanders." There are some 450,000 involved in firearms in sport or recreation.

"The first indication we had of serious dissatisfaction came when a prominent unionist sort information to include in a circular. He wanted to dispel the suggestion that gun control was crime control, and it has gone on from there," said Mr Howat. "I believe Labour has made a miscalculation, their ideas on gun control won't attract new votes, but have turned off a lot of their ordinary members. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand that restrictions on law abiding people won't affect the criminal fraternity or mentally ill".

Mr Howat said he believed that many previous Labour supporters would now cast their party/list votes for ACT who appeared to recognise the laws aimed at responsible persons would not affect crime.

ENDS....

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>