Opinion by David Mack
Introduction: Lawyer and currently Labour MP for Christchurch Central Duncan Webb in his latest newsletter said this on the coalition government’s moves re firearm ownership. Under a heading Backtrack on Gun Safety, Duncan Webb wrote:-
The Minister responsible for firearms is previously a lobbyist for the Council for Licensed Firearm Owners. She is considering doing away with the firearms registry – the central list of who owns what guns and where they are.
The registry serves multiple purposes – police will know if there are registered firearms at an address they visit; where people are in crisis it will be known if they can access firearms; and where people have unusual patterns of gun ownership this can be flagged.
Police have opposed any moves to remove the registry – it is an important tool in keeping their officers safe. Backtracking on this is madness and an affront to our Muslim community. I’m a registered firearm owner myself.
The registry serves multiple purposes – police will know if there are registered firearms at an address they visit; where people are in crisis it will be known if they can access firearms; and where people have unusual patterns of gun ownership this can be flagged.
Police have opposed any moves to remove the registry – it is an important tool in keeping their officers safe. Backtracking on this is madness and an affront to our Muslim community. I’m a registered firearm owner myself.
Response by David Mack to Duncan Webb’s comments on the firearms register and Nicole McKee MP.
Dear Duncan,
You, as a lawyer, should be aware that the police already know who owns firearms lawfully because we are licenced as fit and proper persons to own guns. What we own is of no importance or relevance, our guns are NOT the problem, indeed keeping what we own confidential is an important part of overall firearms security.
The guns owned by unlicenced gang members and other criminals are the problem and they will never appear on any register most having had their serial numbers removed anyway.
The money currently being wasted on a useless register, I believe the figure is at least $1 million per week, would be better spent on more police and better pay, conditions and training for them.
I suggest you take a look at the Canadian firearms registry fiasco and the enormous cost blowout of that failed exercise which the New Zealand police in the person of Insp. John Coote expressly advised against when Canada requested advice on our licencing system which, until Ardern started messing with it, was regarded as the best in the world.
As for Nicole McKee how refreshing it is to have someone in Parliament as a minister who actually knows what she is talking about and is a real expert in her field.
The money currently being wasted on a useless register, I believe the figure is at least $1 million per week, would be better spent on more police and better pay, conditions and training for them.
I suggest you take a look at the Canadian firearms registry fiasco and the enormous cost blowout of that failed exercise which the New Zealand police in the person of Insp. John Coote expressly advised against when Canada requested advice on our licencing system which, until Ardern started messing with it, was regarded as the best in the world.
As for Nicole McKee how refreshing it is to have someone in Parliament as a minister who actually knows what she is talking about and is a real expert in her field.
We can all feel confident and safe that she will produce a new body of effective and cost effective firearms legislation if she is allowed to get on with the job unencumbered by ignorant and ill judged interventions from people who do not know what they are talking about or who have other agendas not in the public interest.
Nicole McKee
David Mack is quite correct. Violent gun crime statistics from NZ Police show that the Labour government’s approach of pandering to gangs and targeting responsible law abiding firearms owners led to a massive increase in firearms-related offences. Nicole Mckee has shown a practical approach to firearm ownership.
Mr.Webb,
I totally agree with David Mac & Tony Orman.What they are telling you is fact.
The illegal importation of deadly drugs into NZ is a regular event. Two out of every 10 shipping containers are Xrayed, what is in the other 8 ??? Sealed waterproof bags of all sorts of illegal items are dropped off around our coast & retrieved by their intended recipients ( remember the drugs ( could have been firearms) that were landed over 90 mile beach a while ago.
Nicole McKee has her feet firmly on the ground. She is consulting all sensible parties prior to making command decisions & we expect to see sensible workable laws from her efforts.
Law abiding licensed firearm owners are NOT the problem, CRIMINALS are!!!
How do they get access to illegal firearms??? (a) by the o/seas container method & dropping off around the coast, (b) by stealing them from licensed firearm owners when the crims find out where owners live,(c) From Police stations, ask the Palm Nth station how crims managed to take 14 firearms out of that station a while back & last but not least,(d) they manufacture them with 3D printers.!!!!!
Our 1983 Firearm Laws were excellent & the envy of the world. Let’s get things back to the way they were then. Get off your political soap box & direct your energy at the criminal fraternity who ARE the real problem.
Right on the button. Very well said David.
This Duncan Webb character appears to be a non-thinking waffler.
The illegal firearms owners will never register their firearms and it won’t stop clever people from building their own which will never be registered.
I trust Nicole Mckee, she knows what she is about.
The Thorp report which I assume you have read, said a 95% compliance rate would be necessary for the registry to work – that won’t happen: illegal firearm owners will not register their firearms and many legal firearm owners will not register all of theirs. After all, can you blame them, because we have been lied to so many times. The NZ Police to have been politicised, so many firearms owner DO NOT trust them at all! Same with Politicians. As well, the thing that is driving the registry is ideology, not fact, so for that reason alone it should be scrapped. We had one of the best firearms licensing regimes in the world and since the Labour Government immorally targeted legitimate firearm owners due to the NZ police stuff our safety record with firearm has gone downhill.
WHO IS TELLING PORKIES THEN?
The public of New Zealand have been straight-out lied to .. and those who created the lies, are still telling them.
Hitler and Goebbels .. when they manipulated the German people into believing their lies .. discovered that “if you tell a lie that is big enough .. and you tell it often enough .. then people will believe it”.
The previous Labour-led government (in power from 2017-2023) were masters at the art of lying .. and manipulating people into believing their lies.
The end-results of which .. have been absolutely devastating for New Zealand.
Not just Firearms Licence Holders have borne the brunt .. our poor, wee country has been economically, spiritually, culturally, and socially devastated as well. And that’s not to mention the devastation of our health system (both physical
and mental health), education, law and order .. the list goes on …
But as regards Firearms, specifically .. it is estimated there are AT LEAST 1.2 million firearms in New Zealand (with high-end estimates suggesting there could be closer to 2 million). And there are AT LEAST 50,000 .. or as many as up to 200,000 .. that are not legally held. A number that undoubtedly shot up markedly, as soon as talk of a Firearms Register was seriously mooted.
Am I the only one who reckons that .. with at least 50,000, maybe up to 200,000 Firearms ALREADY in the hands of criminals .. they have plenty to suit their nefarious purposes .. for the foreseeable future.
Anybody who believes the Firearms Register is going to be ANYTHING OTHER THAN AN EXPENSIVE WHITE ELEPHANT .. is a damn fool .. who needs to pull their head out of the sand, and face the reality of the situation.
Duncan Webb is just such a damn fool.
David Mack is right, Nicole knows her stuff, Duncan is entitled to an opinion but doesn’t know what he’s talking about so appears a fool
I saw Nicole Mckee on TV announcing the changes to the firearms prohibition order laws and think she is a very sensible woman who deserves support in what she is trying to do. She obviously knows where the real problem lies.
I find Mr. Webb’s comments to be without credible background and are almost flippant coming from an obviously well-educated person who will know that “evidence and facts” are required to reach valued judgements. I see none in his comments. Rather I see a personal attack, a case of “playing the (wo)man and not the ball”. I have registered my firearms because that is the law, but I am concerned with how Government agencies protect my data from criminals (despite assurances leaks and hacking happens), and it is the firearms in the hands of criminals that is the issue, and my feeling is they will not be registering their firearms. If the correct police vetting had been done regarding one licensee, the Muslim community would not have been violated and all gun owners would not now be viewed through a single biased lens. Mr. Webb can do better than hysterical posturing and I think Mrs. McKee has shown a very measured approach as crown minister, as she did when representing firearms owners. A refreshing sensible approach delivering on what she promised is something rare.
Denis Morgan
It must be great to blindly follow the socialist agenda and not have to think for yourself Mr Webb.
As a licensed firearms owner surely you have read how ineffective licensing firearms actually is!
This registry will be unmanageable without close to 100% compliance and there’s no way the crooks in NZ will be doing that.
The cost to the country out ways the benefit by far. Train more police and pay them better would be my advice and Mr Webb…..stick to being one of the blind mice!
Totally agree with David Mack!
There is not much to add to the informed comments before me. I trust Nicole McKee 100% to rectify the current unfair legislation towards registered firearms owners.