COLFO media releases on the Royal Commission Inquiry & Report
RC REPORT SHOWS NO JUSTIFICATION FOR FIREARMS CHANGES
TUESDAY 8 DECEMBER 2020
The failure of Police to follow the firearm licensing law, unjustly providing one to Australian terrorist Brenton Tarrant, means there are no reasons for changes to firearm laws says the Council of Licenced Firearms Owners (COLFO).
COLFO Chairman Michael Dowling says:
“This revelation shows that changes to firearm laws immediately following the shooting were unjustified, and further changes are unnecessary.
“The shooting did not arise out of a problem with the New Zealand public, but with Tarrant himself and the government agencies that enabled him to carry out this atrocity. It is not New Zealanders that need to be fixed, but our institutions.”
Dowling says the Royal Commission of Inquiry report shows that Police failed to uphold the law when erroneously providing Tarrant with a firearms licence.
“Police did not follow the law that required them to check criminal records and interview family members before issuing a firearms licence. We see too often with our agencies, the individuals responsible for the decisions walk away with a new role and medal for attendance. We demand someone is held accountable for this grave error.”
Dowling says the response of the Government and Police toward firearm owners was unjustifiable.
“The Prime Minister and Minister of Police has known about the mistake ever since the shooting, but said nothing: encouraging people to blame and demonise our members.
“The Police released a statement on 22 March 2019 claiming they followed correct processes in awarding Tarrant a firearms licence.
“The Police Minister stood in front of media, showing off destroyed firearms and deriding opposition as “gun nuts”, knowing the only reason Tarrant had some was that his own department had not followed the law.
“Instead of fixing the error immediately, the Government and Police acted like it was the fault of licensed firearm owners, confiscating our property, raiding our homes, and changing unrelated ownership rules.”
Dowling says that law-abiding licenced firearm owners deserve an apology from Police and their Minister.
“We demand an apology to New Zealand for making this country a less safe place, and unjustly stirring hostility against law-abiding firearm owners.
“The failure of Police to follow the law underlines the need for a new agency to administer the Arms Act. The New Zealand Police are not the right agency for the job.”
ENDS
RC FINDINGS SHOULD END FIREARM CHANGES
SUNDAY 6 DECEMBER 2020
If the Royal Commission into the Christchurch Mosque Shootings found Police incorrectly gave Brenton Tarrant a firearms licence, the Government will lose its justification for further firearms restrictions, according to the Council of Licenced Firearms Owners (COLFO).
On the eve of release of the Commission report, COLFO Chairman Michael Dowling says the Government confirmed in Parliament last week that it intends to use powers it gave itself last year to arbitrarily impose further restrictions on firearm ownership.
“The Government gave itself those powers by using every opportunity to link firearms bans and licencing changes to the Christchurch Mosque shootings."
In a judgement on COLFO’s High Court legal case against the Government’s reclassification of types of ammunition, Justice Cooke stated that there was no connection between what the Government defined as prohibited ammunition and the mosque shootings.
“If Tarrant got a license and firearms due to a Police blunder, then its response was not justified by Tarrant’s actions.
“It will have made law based on emotional response to the shooting, not evidence. When we get that evidence tomorrow, the justification for more bans and ownership restrictions will evaporate.”
“Our suspicion is the report will confirm the Government acted rashly, to do something rather than the right thing, the ban and Arms Act will become a case study in irrational law-making.”
“Our expert members have yet to see how the amendments made would have prevented Tarrant in an environment where Police did not follow the existing laws they were charged with administering.”
Questions the Royal Commission should answer:
- How did an Australian without NZ connections get a licence?
- To what extent did the process rely on on-line questions and miss face to face assessments?
- Did Police enquire about Tarrant in Australia? If not, why not?
- Who did Police contact as character referees? What judgment did they apply to their suitability?
- Were the character referees required to have known Tarrant for at least three years? If not, why not?
- Would Police have been better equipped to apply the fit and proper person test to Tarrant if they had not abandoned the previous system that closely involved local non-sworn people?
- Did Tarrant’s character referees lie to Police; and if so, what has happened to them?
- Did Tarrant have a licence endorsement that allowed him to purchase the firearm he used to murder his victims? If so, why? If not, was the firearm illegally sourced, and if so, from where?
- Would he have been able to get the large magazines or other features that facilitated his murders if previous firearms community warnings about gaps in the endorsement system had been acted on?
- Was anyone found to have attempted to remove or change evidence about the collection of data on Tarrant’s fit and proper status?
- Were the Minister and Prime Minister told about failures in vetting Tarrant, and if so, why did they subsequently continue with the firearms ban and Arms Act changes knowing they were not related to the murders?
- If the government did know, why were Police not replaced with a special purpose authority in the law change last year?
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VITAL FIREARM LICENSING ANSWERS EXPECTED
WEDNESDAY 25 NOVEMBER 2020
Firearm owners targeted by last year’s law changes expect the Royal Commission’s report into the Christchurch Mosque shootings will deliver answers on a vital matter avoided by the Police and Government for nearly two years; how Tarrant got his licence despite signs that he could not meet the “fit and proper” test.
COLFO Chairman Michael Dowling says members were surprised that Tarrant had a firearm licence.
“As soon as our members learned of Tarrant’s background, they asked how a recently arrived lone Australian could get a licence. They wanted to know how Tarrant’s application was handled, given that Police were supposed to interview character referees who had known him for at least three years.”
Dowling says COLFO members had objected over the past five years to undermining of the “fit and proper” licensing system by budget cuts and management changes.
“Instead of admitting the management shortfalls, the Government and Police tried to pin responsibility for Tarrant’s murders on responsible firearm owners and the licensing system.
“If the Royal Commission confirms that Police failures precipitated this tragedy, their extraordinary powers under the Arms Act should be removed immediately.
“New Zealand needs a body whose sole job it is to make firearms licencing work. We must take away the temptation for Police to divert funding and resources from that vital task,” Dowling says.
ENDS
EXTENSIONS MUST BE ACROSS ALL GOVERNMENT RESPONSES TO MOSQUE ATTACK
WEDNESDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2019
The extension of the Royal Commission report to 30 April 2020 means all other government responses to the mosque attack should be equally delayed, according to the Council of Licenced Firearms Owners (COLFO).
The Government is hearing submissions on Arms Legislation related to the attack, and on 20 December a range of firearms will become illegal to own – and the current hand-in and compensation programme will cease.
COLFO Spokesperson Nicole McKee said if the Commission needs more time to unravel the mosque attack, then the Government needs more time to work out if its Arms Legislation addresses errors that allowed the mosque attack, and whether its firearm ban will recover enough firearms to prevent another mass shooting or will feed a large number of firearms to organised crime.
“Extend one part of the response to the mosque attack and you should extend them all.
“The extension required for a considered look by the Commission makes a mockery of the rushed and badly drafted firearm rules the Government is introducing.
“The report on what went wrong and what the State could do in the future will now arrive about a year after the Government decided the answer was the firearm ban and Arms legislation.”
She said the extension came in the same week that the Police begun speeding up the Auckland hand-in and announced the hand-in programme via dealers would shut only weeks after starting.
“This is absurd; the Government acknowledges more time is needed to unravel the reasons behind the mosque attacks yet is speeding up conclusion of its response.” Nicole McKee said.
ENDS
EXTENSION OF CHRISTCHURCH ATTACK INQUIRY SUBMISSIONS WELCOMED
THURSDAY 22 AUGUST 2019
The Council of Licenced Firearm Owners (COLFO) is urging firearms owners to pass on information to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Attack on Christchurch Mosques now that the period for submissions has been extended to 27 September.
COLFO spokesperson Nicole McKee says the extension is very welcome, to help the Inquiry with two themes emerging from its work to date; the Police firearms vetting process of the accused, and gun reforms not preventing illegal gun ownership.
“Firearm owners should pass on everything they know about Brenton Tarrant and firearm licensing to ensure a properly informed inquiry.
“The community knows things very material to this event, to Brenton Tarrant, and to the wider terms of reference issues relating to licensing and ownership. They need to speak up.
“The greatest risk to firearm owners is that an under-informed Commission makes misjudgements about how Tarrant was licenced and acquired guns. That would lead to misjudgements on how to prevent a repeat of the event.”
Nicole said it was ironic that the Commission was extending its submission period right when the Government was planning the shortest possible period to introduce additional gun law changes (expected for introduction to Parliament next week).
“We’re heading for a bizarre situation where Government firearm plans will be rammed through with poor consideration, while the Royal Commission is still deeply considering the same subject.”
Update link https://chchroyalinquiry.cwp.govt.nz/updates/update-5/
Submissions link https://chchroyalinquiry.cwp.govt.nz/submissions/online-submissions-form/
ENDS
FIREARM OWNERS URGED TO SUBMIT TO INQUIRY
THURSDAY 22 AUGUST 2019
The Council of Licenced Firearm Owners (COLFO) is urging firearms owners to make sure they pass on any information they have to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Attack on Christchurch Mosques before submissions close tomorrow (Friday).
COLFO spokesperson Nicole McKee says firearm owners should pass on everything they know about Brenton Tarrant and firearm licensing to ensure a properly informed inquiry.
“The community knows things very material to this event, to Brenton Tarrant, and to the wider terms of reference issues relating to licensing and ownership. They need to speak up.
“The greatest risk to firearm owners is that an under-informed Commission makes misjudgements about how Tarrant was licenced and acquired guns. That would lead to misjudgements on how to prevent a repeat of the event.
“Like all New Zealanders, we want answers about how the alleged perpetrator of these horrific crimes was able to get the firearms that were used and what can be done to make sure this never happens again.
“But if the conclusions are misinformed and misguided, there could be devasting effects on the rights of licensed firearms owners.
“Moreover, a misinformed Inquiry would compound the effects of the hastily prepared and presumptuous firearm changes likely to be introduced before the Inquiry completes its work.”
Update link: https://chchroyalinquiry.cwp.govt.nz/updates/update-5/
Submissions link: https://chchroyalinquiry.cwp.govt.nz/submissions/online-submissions-form/
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