Farmers 'will feel duped' by 'illogical' gun ban bill unless changes are made, group warns

April 9, 2019

Private landowners were not included for an exemption in the proposed new legislation.

Federated Farmers say land owners should have the right to apply for exemptions to the semi-automatic weapon ban being mulled, just as contractors will.

In a release today, the group's rural security spokesperson, Miles Anderson, called for further changes to the Arms Amendment Bill, which is being considered in the wake of the Christchurch terrorist attacks on March 15.

Mr Anderson said if farmers are banned from using semi-automatic weapons, they will no longer have access to one of the tools they need to effectively manage their land.

"The whole Select Committee has shown both a lack of trust and a complete lack of understanding of the needs of the rural sector on this issue," Mr Anderson said.

"’We have publicly backed the Government on this important issue from day one, based on the need to both protect public safety and ensure continuing access to the appropriate firearms for those who have demonstrated a genuine need.

"There are five million hectares of privately owned high and hill country in New Zealand. What these landowners have been left with is the equivalent of painting the Auckland harbour bridge with a toothbrush.

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"Where were the Agriculture, Biosecurity, Forestry, Conservation and Land Information Ministers when common sense was needed around this important issue?"

Mr Anderson said farmers are being told to use contractors for pest control, rather than doing it themselves, but questioned whether those contractors would be readily available or able to fulfill requirements.

"Will they be available at 10pm on a frozen winter's night to shoot wallabies off a forage crop? Or up at 5am waiting for a mob of pasture-wrecking pigs? And if they are, how much will they expect to get paid to do it? By the time the contractors arrive the pests will have moved on," Mr Anderson said.

"It is completely illogical.

"Labour has the opportunity to fix the Bill over the next few days - otherwise Federated Farmers will feel duped by this process."

Mr Anderson said farmers who can demonstrate a genuine need for a semi-automatic weapon should be eligible to apply for an exemption to the ban.

"None of the changes we seek undermine public safety."

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