Friday, March 29, 2024

Feds backs new gun ownership measures

Neal Wallace
New gun laws being rushed through Parliament will still respect law-abiding, responsible gun owners, Federated Farmers security spokesman Miles Anderson says.
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Responding to the killing of 50 worshippers and the wounding of a further 48 by a lone shooter at two Christchurch mosques the Government has introduced laws banning military style semi-automatics and assault rifles, reclassified other weapons and will implement a buyback scheme at an estimated cost of up to $200m.

Following the horror and misery the mass killing inflicted on the Muslim community the events in Christchurch have also affected the agricultural sector.

Three South Island meat companies closed or scaled back processing last week to allow staff to mourn those killed in the shooting and attend funerals.

Alliance, Silver Fern Farms and Anzco joined the rest of the country in expressing sympathy to friends, family and the Muslim community as they scaled back operations at southern works.

On Thursday the Government announced the reclassification of two types of semi-automatics to include them in a ban on firearms with a detachable magazine holding more than five rounds or, in the case of a shotgun, a magazine capable of holding more than five cartridges. 

Semi-automatic .22 calibre rimfire rifles with up to 10-shot magazine and semi-automatic and pump action shotguns with a non-detachable tubular magazine holding up to five cartridges will still be permitted.

Anderson says the shootings March 15 changed everything and the federation agrees with the Government there is no need for military-style semi-automatic rifles on farms.

“We’re pleased farmers are still going to have access to sporting semi-automatic rimfire rifles, such as the .22 long rifle, and sporting semi-automatic shotguns with limited magazine capacity.”

They are needed for control of small, mobile pests such as rabbits, possums and Canada geese where quick follow-up shots are required while larger calibre semi-automatic firearms are required by professional cullers but access needs to be tightly managed, he says.

On Thursday a nationwide petition was accepted by politicians with 70,000 signatures from people seeking tighter gun laws.

However, the proposed changes do not go as far as the Australian response to the 1996 Port Arthur massacre according to Dr Samara McPhedran, the director of the Homicide Research Unit at Griffith University.

Following that mass shooting in which 35 people were killed and 23 wounded Australia banned all semi-automatic firearms including pump-action shotguns.

“In contrast, Australia essentially banned all semi-automatic firearms, both sporting configuration and military configuration. Australia also banned pump-action shotguns.

“New Zealand’s changes do not go anywhere near that far,” she says.

SFF was doubly affected by the disaster when a slaughterman who worked at its Finegand plant was killed in a road crash on Wednesday morning while return south after mourning a relative killed in the Christchurch shooting.

Chief executive Simon Limmer says the man’s death north of Palmerston was especially tough on staff at Finegand where operations ceased on Wednesday with community leaders and counsellors brought in to support staff.

Processing was also halted on Friday and over the weekend at Finegand, Pareora, Belfast and Waitane plants for staff to mourn the Christchurch deaths and attend funerals.

“We are arranging bus transport for the staff and their families affected by the tragedy to get up to Christchurch from our South Island sites who are attending the funerals and services this weekend,” Limmer says.

Alliance also cut back capacity at its Lorneville, Mataura and Pukeuri plants on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Chief executive David Surveyor said Alliance gave red meat to the Christchurch Victims Organising Committee, which is supporting the families.

Anzco chief executive Peter Conley says with employees attending funerals, the company either reduced shifts or stopped processing at its Canterbury sites.

All companies have worked with farmers to accommodate the disruption to processing.

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