From Nicole McKee on Facebook

Nicole McKee on the progress of the firearms bill:

Sorry a bit of a long post but here’s an update from me on where the Arms Bill is at. The Bill had it’s second reading yesterday and passed with coalition parties supporting and Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori opposing. I’ll share the video on my page tomorrow.

Prior to the second reading, the Justice select committee made some great changes after hearing from the thousands of licenced firearm owners who submitted on the bill.

The Committee’s report shows that licenced firearm owners, and all New Zealanders are finally being listened to, and that reflects what I’ve been hearing too.

Labour rushed through changes with next to no consultation that treated licenced firearm owners as villains while failing to reduce crime committed by the unlicensed.

This time around, you were heard, and many of your suggestions are reflected in the Committee’s report.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁:

• Extending from seven to 21 days the period during which gunsmiths may possess pistols or restricted firearms without needing a permit to possess or immediately recording the transfer in the firearms registry.

• Extending multi-entry visitor licences up to 18 months, giving greater flexibility to people returning for annual events such as duck shooting, the roar, or sporting competitions.

• Clarifying that museum workers do not require an endorsement on their licence or permit to possess firearms while carrying out their duties.

• Extending museum worker licences to five years initially and 10 years on renewal.

• Clarifying a range of definitions so the law operates as intended for both licenced firearm owners and for public safety.

• Allowing firearms licences to be temporarily suspended outside business hours where urgent action is necessary such as in domestic violence situations or where someone is at risk of harming themselves or others.

• Setting 23 September 2026 as the main commencement date, with the Bill fully in force by 23 February 2028.

𝗜 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀:
• Preventing the Arms Regulator from appointing members of the Firearms Licensing Review Committee, ensuring challenges to licensing decisions are considered independently of the organisation that made the original decision.

• Requiring greater firearms safety and practical firearms knowledge among Review Committee members.

• Removing provisions allowing the Regulator to proactively extend firearms licences, as extensions are already being used provided the person applies before their licence expires.

• The Bill as introduced had a provision on deactivation which we have removed.

• Removing the requirement to obtain a permit to possess when acquiring major parts for restricted firearms because these parts are often also used in standard firearms.

• Making a range of further technical changes to improve clarity, public safety, and the workability of the law.

These changes strengthen the independence of the review process, remove unnecessary duplication, and ensure the new system works in practice.

Separately, in regulations 𝗖𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗹 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗹 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟭𝟮 𝘁𝗼 𝟭𝟬 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿, as recommended unanimously by the Committee. This recognises that illness, range closures, and other unforeseen circumstances can make the current requirement unnecessarily burdensome, without improving public safety.

New regulations giving effect to the changes in the Bill will come into force at the same time as relevant provisions. Most of the Bill will commence on 23 September 2026, with the remaining provisions coming into force progressively by 23 February 2028.

The photos here are the folders I’ve prepared for the next stage of the Bill where MPs will spend hours grilling and questioning me line by line on the bill. That stage is called “Committee of the Whole” and it will begin at 0900hrs tomorrow.