Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Cabinet has signed off on an overhaul of the country's gun laws that shifts the responsibility of the firearms regulator from the Police Minister to the Firearms Minister.
National and ACT agreed to rewrite the Arms Act - in place since the early 1980s - as part of its coalition arrangement.
The legislation has had many iterations, more recently a ban on semi-automatics and a new firearms regulator, introduced after the March 15 terror attacks.
Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee has been working on rewriting the act to "improve public safety" and make it easier for licensed firearm owners (LFOs) to comply with the law.
Firearms regulator will answer to Firearms Minister
Te Tari Pūreke the Firearms Safety Authority (FSA) was a key part of the Crown's response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch masjidain on 15 March 2019.
It administers gun laws in the police department and reports to the Police Commissioner.
National and ACT agreed to transfer the FSA "to another department such as the Department of Internal Affairs", though the FSA is staying with police.
It is being reformed into a new regulator without sworn police officers and headed up by its own chief executive, appointed by the Governor-General.
This new chief executive will report solely to the Minister responsible for firearms, currently McKee, with the Ministry of Justice providing oversight and monitoring.
Tweaks to laws regulating military-style guns
Muslim leaders expressed concern laws regulating military-style guns would be liberalised in the re-write, after both McKee and the Prime Minister refused to rule this out last year.
There are no changes to the very limited number of people who can legally hold these types of guns - 'endorsed' pest controllers and collectors - in the overhaul.
The government is extending the duration of a pest control endorsement from 2.5 years to five years, with a mid-term check in to confirm holders' circumstances haven't changed.
It's also giving collectors who own prohibited firearms the option of storing vital parts of a gun (that when removed, disables it) at the address of any licensed firearm owner, not just someone who has the same endorsement.
High-capacity pistol magazines, those with more than ten rounds, will also only be able to be purchased and held by those with a pistol endorsement, effectively closing a loophole in the current system.
Other changes
Other parts of the reforms include automatically disqualifying identified gang members (those on the National Gang List) from holding a firearms licence, preventing them from gaining legal access to guns.
The reforms will also introduce a statutory 'red flag' system so police and other agencies can signal to the firearms regulator when they have relevant intel that might trigger a review of whether a LFO remains a fit and proper person.
Penalties for more than 60 Arms Act offences will be increased and eight new offences created, including one that makes it illegal to own a firearm without a serial number.
The new act is also supposed to plug gaps in the law to address new and emerging technologies such as the illegal manufacture of 3D printed firearms and parts, and possession of digital files without a licence.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
