18 March 2019

Media: Daily Post

Topic: Gun laws in New Zealand

Enquiry

Reporter seeking comment from the Mayor regarding the PM's announcement gun laws would change

-does council support this?

-Would you be able to ask specifically about the government plans to ban semi-automatic rifles?

-There is also a store in Rotorua, Gun Supplies, which sells a range of guns including military-style guns and also does custom built guns. Are there plans to restrict what this store sells as a measure of public safety?

Response

Regarding the question relating to plans to restrict what this store sells' it was explained that:

this is not a council matter. For your knowledge, Councils don't have the power to restrict what someone sells or stop someone from selling products they are legally allowed to sell, that's determined by national legislation which is what the government is now going to look at re guns.

As far as I'm aware licensing of people/businesses selling guns is a police role. Not sure what powers they have but if you're asking about whether there will be some sort of interim restriction, I would think that's a question for Central Government - I'm not sure what would be involved in implementing something like that and like councils, the police don't write the laws, they just administer and/or enforce them.

In response to [the rest of] your enquiry, there isn't a collective Council view as gun laws is not something elected members have discussed as a group. So the mayor can't speak on behalf of the whole Council but see below re her own views:

From Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick:

I support the fact that Central Government is looking at this, with a view to making some changes.

"Personally, I believe there are some types of guns, like military style semi-automatic weapons, that have no place in the hands of the general public.

"This is a very emotive issue. We have to make sure we take a really well thought through approach.