The NZ Outdoors and Freedom Party has commended the government for practical, positive moves towards firearm ownership and giving recreational hunters a voice around conservation authority tables.
Party president Alan Simmons was responding to criticism from Police Association president Chris Cahill who called for the responsibility for firearms reform taken off ACT Minister Nicole McKee, saying she was a former gun lobbyist and has excluded police from consultation.
“ ACT’s Nicole McKee as a minister responsible for firearms reform has shown a practical, common-sense approach to firearm reform because unlike the previous Labour government and it seems the police association president she understands that crime is committed by criminals and gangs, invariably with illegal firearms,” he said. “The Labour led government following the mosque shootings in 2019, panicked and rammed through in undemocratic fashion law that penalised law-abiding Kiwis and ignored gangs and criminals like the mosque murderer.”
Alan Simmons – “Cahill outburst unprofessional”
Alan Simmons said Police Association president had conducted a running tirade against law-abiding New Zealanders who legally and safely used firearms for recreation. He criticised the media for largely lacking balance by featuring only the Police association president’s press releases.
“Cahill’s outburst was very unprofessional in publicly criticising a minister in such shrill strident manner. His ill-judged tirade must be an embarrassment to those police with principles and integrity.”
“When is Police president Cahill going to answer how the police gave the Christchurch shooter a license to buy the guns and then followed up with an order to purchase the ammunition even when queried. Or when the Dunedingun club raised its concerns with the police about Tarrant? When is the media, particularly Stuff, going to ask Cahill those vital questions?”
He said the media and the Police Association need “to button up” and support Minister McKee’s efforts to get more workable firearms legislation.
“They need to properly explain to the New Zealand public the failures which led to the shootings in the first place and stop trying to shift the blame. Minister McKee and ACT was elected largely to represent outdoors people and all the bleating by the Police Assn will never compensate for their own incompetency and lack of accountability,” said Alan Simmons.
Alan Simmons also praised ACT MP Cameron Luxton for private members bill put forward, that would ensure the recreational hunting public had a voice at conservation authority board councils.
“Previously the Department of Conservation with it’s anti-trout, anti-game animals prejudice and pro-poisons bias, that oversees nominations and selects individuals for boards, almost without exception in the past, has ignored recreational fishing and hunting nominees,” he said. “Cam Luxton is to be congratulated on his initiative.”
Alan Simmons said with National appointing a Hunting Fishing Minister in Todd McClay, the one million plus New Zealanders who fish, hunt and enjoy range marksmanship should be recognised.
Contact: Alan Simmons Ph…0274 980 304
This a well spoken comment by Alan Simmons on the tantrum by Police Union boss Chris Cahill. Nicole McKee’s sterling efforts to restore commonsense to the firearm owning issues are encouraging. She is showing how stupid Labour’s rushed move after March 15, 2019 was, mind you it was supported in Parliament by National.
It seems National may have seen the error of their way in supporting the Ardern “Reich.”
Let’s hope so.