The Council of Licenced Firearms Owners (COLFO) says the passage of the Arms Legislation Bill today is a ‘terrible injustice’ imposed upon the licenced firearm owning community to cover Police mistakes.

COLFO spokesperson Nicole McKee says the law punished firearm owners by changing licence rules that had worked perfectly well until Police switched resources and methods a few years ago.

“The licence rules worked, but it appears that Police didn’t apply them correctly to the Christchurch shooter. The new rules will only be as good as the people applying them.

“Parliament should be embarrassed to have passed a law before anyone – including a Royal Commission - has worked out what the problem was.

“Rather than wait for information on what led to a tragic event and make recommendations, the Government and Police have lashed out at a group of people they had repeatedly certified as trustworthy and of good character.”

McKee says the new law does not have a single clause that will make people safer than they were before the Christchurch shooting, so COLFO intended to work with Police to make their implementation more effective.

“Not one New Zealander is made safer by this law. Implementation will be made worse by the Police being under-resourced, as we saw in their bungle of the gun confiscation and poor writing of these laws."

McKee thanked the thousands of supporters who came out in force to meet with their local MPs, make submissions to the Finance and Expenditure Committee, and attend protests throughout the country.

“Our opposition to this bill activated thousands of ordinary New Zealanders up and down the country and spurred them into action. This issue will dominate their vote in the coming general election,” she says.

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