Media have once again been led into incorrect reporting on the firearm registry, this time repeating claims that the new firearms registry enabled identification of a firearm on-seller, even though the data had been collected separately by Police since 2021.
Yesterday’s (23 October, 2023) article in the “NZ Herald” story in the “NZ Herald said the Police investigation into Craig Holtom’s illegal firearm on-selling had a ‘major breakthrough’ with the creation of New Zealand’s firearm registry, after a ‘simple database search’.The data was not collected because of, or for, the registry.
The data was supplied to Police by commercial firearm retailers and dates to 2019.The correct conclusion is therefore the exact opposite: a registry is not needed to track down someone buying from dealers to illegally sell on. The registry is a very expensive way to achieve what has already been happening.
COLFO (Council of Licensed Firearm Owners) spokesperson Hugh Devereux-Mack urges wariness.
“Healthy skepticism is required when it comes to claims about the firearm registry. There’s a lot of money and reputation invested, so a lot of incentive to embellish its performance.
“The way the Court case was presented to media means they missed that it really shows that Police didn’t need to spend $200m to create a registry to catch this offender.“
Cheap Shot
This cheap attempt to bolster a pointless registry swamps the sterling effort of Police in tracking down a wayward licensed firearm owner. It is disappointing to see someone once assessed as being fit and proper by Police sliding into supplying legally purchased firearms to gangs he says.
“We thank the Firearms Safety Authority for acknowledging that the actions of this individual are not reflective of the vast majority of licensed firearm owners who legally use firearms to feed their families, protect our environment, and for sport,” says Hugh Devereux-Mack.
This latest misrepresentation follows publishing of simplistic claims of public support for a registry.
Poll Outcome
In contrast, an unreported Clarity Insight poll run at the end of August for COLFO, revealed that two thirds of the public believe the registry will make no discernible difference to the level of firearm crime.
Eighty percent of the public believe New Zealand is less safe than 2019, and 83% have noticed an increase in gun crime since then.
That was the year Labour banned some types of firearms, conducted a buyback, and announced a raft of controls on licensed firearm owners – moves it claimed would make people safer.
Hugh Devereaux-Mack
Canada sent a $2 billion massive blowout on a firearm registry and then abandioned iut. Surely there is a lesson to be learned for Police Assn., president Cahill and NZ government?
RegistryHa! Fraudristry better.Remember the long game is to disarm the public!Step by step a start is putting fees out of reach ofgeneral household budget.
It seems that sporting shooters, hunters and collectors are, very sensibly, staying away from the registry in droves, they know that the registry is just a list for eventual confiscation and really serves no other purpose.
As Groucho Marx observed, “Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies”
This applies to the gun register idea.
There’s a problem with gang members and criminals having no firearm licence, having illegal weapons so Police and silly politicians think a firearm register on firearm licenced law abiding firearm owning public will solve it.
A firearm register is the wrong remedy.
Canada’s experience proves that.
Where will the register feature in party coalition talks?
ACT has it right in wanting to “bin” the idea, but inexplicably National want to go ahead with it.
Daffy Police Minister in Labour said Minister of Police Ginny Anderson said National needed to front up and tell voters whether it would buckle to Act and scrap the register.
“It would take us backwards. We’ve come a long way in setting up a register, and invested money to make sure we keep New Zealanders safer by being able to track illegal weapons,” she said.
C’mon Ginny, do your homework. Look at Canada.