firearm. This is the sort of thing we
we have to fix. While again I congratulate the member for
bringing this to this
House, it is not enough, it is too
late. We have to look at this much more deeply.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I call Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi. Iwould like to
congratulate the member, as
there are members who have a had to wait a
very, very long time
to have their bill
bill drawn and he is having his third
third bill debated. Madam Speaker, this
this is a very important bill because
because the National Party always believes
believes in law and order, and tough on
on law and order, and we have done a lot
Iwould like to
I would like to touch, first of all, as the Minister in the reply, David
Clark, mentioned about the
inquiry, and
Clark, mentioned about the inquiry,
mentioned the inquiry, in last term of Parliament.
of Parliament. It was recommended that the Arms
Act 1983 be amended to clearly
clearly state that gang members must not be considered a fit and proper
person to
person to possess firearms and, therefore, must
therefore, must not hold a firearm licence.
licence. So that was the recommendation
recommendation and the majority of the recommendations made in that
inquiry, the Government accepted that. The report
back was done in April 2017. The minority report by
New Zealand
report recommends law changes to prohibit gangs from legally
owning firearms, it does
not provide prohibition
prohibition or recommendation on the sentence given to a
gang member and other
other criminals who commit offences involving
was a clear indication what that inquiry did. I
remembertalking to the previous President of
Association, Greg O'Connor, and he was
was very concerned about this issue. Today, what we are hearing, that the
Labour Party
Labour Party and two of the members who were present in the
inquiry were Hon Stuart Nash and
Hon Ron Mark, who was speaking
before a few speakers,
speakers, and angrily trying to narrate
narrate the history, what had happened,
happened, but they were part of this inquiry.
inquiry. They mentioned this, and this was the recommendation of
the inquiry to the
Government of the day that
that they should consider this aspect.
aspect. Unfortunately, we will not
Unfortunately, we will not be the Government later on
but the Minister at that time, Minister
Paula Bennett accepted
accepted majority of those recommendations and they were to be
implemented. Butl
Chris Bishop once again for picking up from that inquiry
issues raised by the select committee
committee and bringing this to the House
House and this was drawn. I can assure you that there was
a lot of concern about the gangs having
concern about the gangs having firearms and
firearms and that issue was not only raised
raised by the Police Association but some
some of the other people who were involved.
involved.
involved. Here I would also like
to acknowledge the people who
legally own the firearms and
they are the
inquiry, we clearly mentioned we are not trying
not trying to target the people who legally own
legally own the firearms, who are licence
licence holders. There are about 250,000
250,000 people who legally hold licences, and
people to be targeted. BELL
BELL RUNG So
So I thinkthis bill is very important and we
should have sent to the select committee.
I don't know why
the select committee. I don't know
bill recently pass through this House, NAIT Bill, which was of the
Animal ID
House, NAIT Bill, which was of the
which we gave a fishery officer to do a search.
Today we are listening from the Labour Party and the Green
Party that we
should not give any authority
authority to the Police Commissioner who
who can authorise his officers to go and
and do a search. So how contrary it is that a fishery officer can go and
do any search
whereas a firearm, a person
person who is holding firearms, we are not allowed to
go and circumstance their premises. So
I think
think this is total hypocrisy of the Government,
Government, and they are not considering it seriously. I
hope they may
they may consider to support this bill. I call Dr Duncan Webb.
Point
heard a statement and I seek leave to
heard a statement and I seek leave
need to give the House more information.
information. The personal statement is
is relating to comments made by former
former member Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi about what I did on select
committee, which are totally inaccurate.
inaccurate. The member is seeking leave
leave about his actions on a select committee
committee inquiry. Any objection to
members, Mr Bakshi just made a statement
statement that I was on that select committee
committee and by dent that I supported
supported the recommendations. What the
the member did not say is I voted against
against the findings of that inquiry and
and against the overwhelming majority
majority of those recommendations because I, and New Zealand First,
thought they were stupid.
You can certainly take
certainly take a point of order but we're not going
to have an argument. The
make a personal statement. He's made that. That's where the matter
rests. Madam Speaker, I
said that there was a
a minority report of New Zealand First.
First. So minority report is normally
normally against the report. So that was
was my... That's right. That's finished. I call the Hon Dr Duncan
Webb. Thank
Webb. Thank you, Madam Chair. Congratulations to Mr
Bishop for having this bill
drawn. Unfortunately,
Unfortunately, it really is a
a report that has some merit to it, have a look