New Zealand House outlaws military-style weapons
New Zealand’s Parliament on Wednesday passed sweeping gun laws that outlaw military style weapons, less than a month ater mass shootings at two mosques in the city of Christchurch let 50 people dead and dozens wounded.
A bill outlawing most automatic and semiautomatic weapons and banning components that modify existing weapons was passed by a vote of 119 to 1 in the House of Representatives ater an accelerated process of debate and public submission.
The bill needs only the approval of New Zealand’s governor general, a formality, before becoming law on Friday. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern spoke emotionally during the bill’s final reading of the traumatic injuries suffered by victims of the March 15 atacks, whom she visited in Christchurch Hospital ater the shootings.
“I struggle to recall any single gunshot wounds,” Ardern said. “In every case they spoke of multiple injuries, multiple debilitating injuries that deemed it impossible for them to recover in days, let alone weeks. They will carry disabilities for a lifetime, and that’s before you consider the psychological impact. We are here for them.” “I could not fathom how weapons that could cause such destruction and large-scale death could be obtained legally in this country,” she said.
A 28-year-old Australian man, Brenton Tarrant, has been charged in the atacks.
Ardern, who has won international praise for her compassion and leadership since the shootings, was able to win rare bi-partisan support for a bill that makes it illegal to own a military-style semi-automatic rifle. The only dissenting voice was from the libertarian ACT Party, which has one lawmaker in Parliament.
The law includes a buy-back scheme under which owners of outlawed weapons can surrender them to police in return for compensation based on the weapon’s age and condition.
Anyone who retains such a weapon ater the law formally passes on Friday faces a penalty of up to five years in prison. Some exemptions have been allowed for heirloom weapons held by collectors or for professional pest control.
Ardern said lawmakers had a responsibility to act on behalf of victims of the shootings.
“We are ultimately here because 50 people died and they do not have a voice,” she said. “We in this house are their voice. Today we can use that voice wisely.” “We are here just 26 days ater the most devastating terrorist atacks created the darkest of days in New Zealand’s history,” she said.
“We are here as an almost entirely united Parliament. There have been very few occasions when I have seen Parliament come together in this way and I cannot imagine circumstances where that is more necessary than it is now.”
Ardern said that there was some opposition from firearms owners, but that the response to the proposed legislation was overwhelmingly positive.
“My question here is simple,” she said. “You either believe that here in New Zealand these weapons have a place or you do not. If you believe, like us, that they do not, you should be able to believe we can move switly. “An argument about process is an argument to do nothing.”
The government has begun work on a second arms amendment bill it hopes to introduce in June, he said, adding that the measure would tackle issues regarding a gun registry, among others.
The government has faced criticism from some quarters for rushing through the bill. Wednesday’s dissenting vote came from David Seymour, leader of the small free-market ACT Party, who questioned why the measure was being rushed through.
Ardern said majority lawmakers believe such guns had no place in New Zealand.
“We are ultimately here because 50 people died and they do not have a voice,” she added. “We, in this house, are their voice and today we have used that voice wisely.”
Since last month’s shooting, New Zealand has tightened security and cancelled several events in Auckland, its largest city, intended to commemorate ANZAC Day on April 25.
“There is no information about a specific threat to ANZAC events,” police official Karyn Malthus, said in a statement. “However it’s important that the public be safe, and feel safe, at events in the current environment.”
In 1996, neighbouring Australia banned semi-automatic weapons and launched a gun buyback ater the Port Arthur massacre that killed 35 people.
Parliament passed sweeping gun laws that outlaw military style weapons, less than a month after mass shootings at two mosques in the city of Christchurch that left 50 people dead and dozens wounded