The Council of Licensed Firearm Owners (COLFO) says firearm club members have been enraged at the Police Minister’s implication that the Christchurch terrorist was harboured by a firearm club that should have identified him, and that new laws would increase chances of identification next time.
COLFO Spokesperson Hugh Devereux-Mack said Hipkins carelessly repeated a smear previously uttered by fellow Cabinet member David Parker, and provided no grounds for believing that extra paperwork required of club officials would identify prospective mass murderers.
“Chris Hipkins’ phrasing is a deliberate smear of firearm clubs and firearm owners – falsely implying a responsibility we do not share.
“Hipkins must know, if he read the Royal Commission report, that the terrorist’s desultory membership of a club had no bearing on his later actions.
“The red flags he refers to are the ones missed by the Police Officers who cleared the terrorist as a fit and proper holder of a firearm licence.
“The glib statement is an unbecoming political flourish, not a fact.”
Minister Chris Hipkins – “Political Flourish”
Devereux-Mack lambasted the Minister for inferring that the new club rules would identify future terrorists.
“I defy the Minister to point to one of the new rules that would make it more likely a secret terrorist would be identified and reported.
“These are form-filling rules, not ways to spot and catch people planning atrocities.
“They will discourage volunteer club officials and members because they are onerous and increase legal responsibilities.”
Devereux-Mack says only 10 percent of licensed firearm owners belong to a club, so membership should be encouraged.
“We need more firearm clubs, and more ranges, to enlarge a watchful and safety-conscious firearm community,” he said.
For further information contact: Hugh Devereux-Mack. 027 362 0853
COLFO are to be congratulated on standing up on behalf of law abiding Kiwis who are lawful firearms licence holders. Why doesn’t Minister Hipkins look into why Tarrant was granted a firearms licence? Police incompetence allowed Tarrant to get his licence.
Just a giant distraction from the Police’s deadly/criminal failure in vetting the terrorist to even a nominal level or maybe they are trying to make life so hard for LFOs that we give up our sport. Or both.
it’s all part of an end game to disarm the public.One of the many communist Ardern’s
agenda of the long march through the institutions,in preparation to accept our new tribal iwi rulers
I think if my memory is correct the gun club Tarrant belonged to mentioned to police they were concerned about his activities using semi automatic weapons at their rifle range and the police response was “ he was just someone having fun”
“Tikka” you could’ve gone further. By their incompetence in granting Tarrant a firearm licence were they accomplices to the mosque murders?
Why was the minister whose woeful handling of the covid response given the job of Police Minister, a post which requires intelligence and competence?
LFOs are responsible people that do not want to harm or be harmed by other people.
Gun clubs and shooting ranges are controlled environments in which responsible LFO’s practice and improve their skills without endangering themselves or anyone else.
A relationship of mutual respect, trust and cooperation would enable better communication between LFOs and the police and be productive of imporved public safety.
Unfortunately, we have people in this current government who do not understand respect, trust and cooperation.
We should all become as involved and active as possible in the political party of our choice so that we can fire the current politicians we employ and hire some new and much better ones.