National unlikely to support further gun law changes after buyback 'fiasco', Simon Bridges says

August 28, 2019

The National Party leader talked to TVNZ1’s Breakfast about how the buyback scheme has been a “fiasco”.

It is unlikely National will support the next stage in the Government's proposed gun law changes, party leader Simon Bridges says.

The second tranche of gun reforms  were announced last month , with a gun register to be created, gun licence length dropping from 10 years to five and police being given additional power.

National supported the first tranche, but Mr Bridges told TVNZ1's Breakfast this morning that since then "the buyback's scheme has been a fiasco".

"They haven't put fair market value on the guns and so a small number of thousands have been handed in and there's hundreds of thousands there," he said. "That hasn't worked.

More buyback events are set to take place today in Waipu and Whitianga.

More than 15,000 firearms have been handed in so far under Government’s buyback scheme.

"We're very reluctant and I think unlikely to support the next law changes, simply put, because if you look at what the Government's doing they haven't heeded our warnings," Mr Bridges said.

"They're going after law abiding gun owners, they're not going after - actually, I'll say it this way - the baddies, the criminals, the gangs and the extremists."

Mr Bridges said there was "a bunch of things" the Government could be doing to tackle the issue properly.

1 NEWS can reveal new details on how it’s likely to work.

It comes after a copy of the Government's proposed gun legislation was yesterday leaked to the Opposition.

The draft legislation, obtained by 1 NEWS, proposes harsher penalties if gun owners break the law, more regulation of gun clubs and new rules for doctors with concerns about patients holding gun licences. 

Parliament made sweeping changes to New Zealand's gun laws following the March 15 Christchurch terrorist attack that saw 51 people killed. 

Watch Mr Bridges' full interview on Breakfast today in the video below. 

The National Party leader talked to TVNZ1’s Breakfast this morning.

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