Thousands of public submissions received to help guide rewrite of Arms Act 1983
The Ministry of Justice has expressed gratitude to the thousands who provided submissions on the planned reform of the Arms Act 1983 before the closure of the consultation process on 28 February.
“We want to thank everyone who took the opportunity to share how they consider firearms should be regulated, and their views on how the rewrite of the Act can simplify regulatory requirements, improve compliance, and provide greater protection of public safety,” said Kathy Brightwell, general manager, civil and constitutional policy, in a news release.
The justice ministry welcomed public submissions on the contemplated changes to the legislation from 13 January to 28 February and is currently collating and analysing the public submissions. Among the thousands of submissions, many were received in the final week of the consultation period, Brightwell noted.
“This useful feedback will help inform the draft policy proposals which will be presented to the Associate Minister of Justice, and to Cabinet,” Brightwell said. “These proposals will in turn help shape a bill, which the government will draft and introduce to Parliament towards the end of this year.”
Brightwell added that those wishing to share their insights on the planned reform will have another chance to do so via the select committee process.
The justice ministry is also preparing advice on policy options for Nicole McKee, New Zealand’s associate minister of justice, with further updates on the reform work to be shared on the firearms reform page of the justice ministry’s website, Brightwell said in the news release.
The firearms reform page of the justice ministry’s website noted that the government committed to reform the firearms system this Parliamentary term in the coalition agreement between the National Party and the ACT Party.
The planned reform seeks to simplify regulatory requirements for better compliance, to set out controls to better protect the public from firearms-related harm, and to support the safe possession and use of firearms and other weapons for legitimate purposes like sports, hunting, collecting, and pest control, the justice ministry said on its firearms reform page.
The justice ministry noted that the Arms Act has been subject to numerous changes, often swiftly enacted, since the passage of the legislation four decades ago. The justice ministry explained that these changes sought to respond to events throughout history where many people lost their lives in incidents involving firearms.
Thus, at the time of those changes, the government could not conduct a thorough legislative review, the justice ministry said. Some firearms users find the current firearms rules too complicated and find it difficult to understand what they need to do to comply, the justice ministry added.
