The firearms registry is less than two years into a five-year implementation programme. File photo. Photo: 123RF
- An external review shows the firearms registry is keeping people safe, says the authority
- The ACT Party claims the review is not good enough and has invoked the "agree to disagree" clause in its coalition agreement
- The NZ Firearms Registry was established in 2023 in response to the Christchurch mosque attacks
The Firearms Safety Authority says an external review shows that its registry is keeping people safe, but the ACT Party still insists the review was not strong enough.
The ACT Party formally invoked its "agree to disagree" clause in the government's coalition agreement over the firearms registry, after National rejected the party's request for a more "thorough and independent review" in the next financial year.
In a statement on Tuesday, the authority's acting executive director Superintendent Richard Wilson said the Ministry of Justice review showed the registry should continue.
"The firearms registry is less than two years into a five-year implementation programme and it's really clear what the benefits are," he said.
"The registry is an essential part of a bigger system to deal with firearms harm in our communities. It is designed to mitigate the risk of firearms falling into the wrong hands through greater transparency and accountability when firearms are imported, manufactured, bought and sold."
The registry was established in 2023 in response to the Christchurch mosque attacks that left 51 people dead and dozens more injured.
Wilson said the registry gave frontline police access to real-time information to support risk assessments when police responded to "critical incidents".
"The majority of firearms licence holders are good law-abiding people. Unfortunately, there are still a few who divert firearms to unlicensed offenders," he said.
"The registry is a significant tool to support police to detect this offending. Over time the registry will increasingly make it more difficult for firearms to move from lawful hands into the black market of unlicensed people, including gangs, extremists, or criminals.
"The registry also helps licence holders have more confidence when buying or selling firearms. They can check firearms have not been stolen.
"I acknowledge all licence holders who have filled in the registry so far and are doing their bit to make it harder for criminals to access firearms."
Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee said on Sunday that she asked the cabinet to consider that the registry did not meet the commitment in ACT's coalition agreement.
"The purpose of the review was to establish a clear evidence base, covering public safety impacts, government costs, compliance burdens for licensed firearms owners, and international comparisons. In my view, the review failed to deliver on these objectives," she said.
One of the review's findings that the registry was justified if it prevented just two fatalities a year was "speculative and unsupported by evidence", McKee said.
"Without a clear model of risk reduction or causal link to public safety outcomes, that claim is difficult to defend," she said.
Police Minister Mark Mitchell said on Sunday that he saw no need for a further review.
"The review was commissioned under the associate minister for justice, which is Nicole McKee, who was able to put the terms of reference together. We've had a review," he said.
As of 1 May, there were more than 400,000 firearms and almost 14,000 firearms parts registered to known locations and licence-holders.
More than a third of licence-holders had entered their details into the registry.
Police have also confirmed an "internal employment process" had begun at the authority after concerns were raised by staff.
RNZ was recently alerted about concerns of a "toxic culture" in the unit with allegations of bullying and concerns about the management of complaints.
The authority is a business unit hosted within New Zealand Police.
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