The New Zealand government is working to reform its complex and draconian firearms law.
In 2019, a far-left ideologue mass murdered dozens of Muslims in New Zealand. One of his goals was to promote draconian gun laws in New Zealand and in the United States. He succeeded in New Zealand. Many extreme restrictions on firearms and ownership were piled onto already restrictive laws.
Far Left PM Jacinda Ardern was successful in pushing through the draconian law on a wave of media maximized emotion. As part of the pushback to these draconian exercises of power, the Hon. Nicole McKee was elected as a member of parliament for the ACT party in the election of 2020.
Associate Minister of Justice, Hon. Nicole McKee, was interviewed in 2024 by deerstalkers.org.nz:
Labour’s firearm law changes in 2019 affected everybody, not just hunters. Although, in saying that, hunters are a massive part of the licenced-firearms-owning community. I recall when the kids were small, and hubby was studying, the only way we got meat on our table at home was when I went out and hunted for it. We could not afford supermarket meat.
The real motivation came in 2019. I was running my own business, running firearms licencing courses in rural and isolated communities. I realised when the 2019 changes came into effect that they would affect everybody, not just the hunters, as I mentioned, but also target shooters, collectors, pest controllers and so on.
In the New Zealand election of 14 October 2023, the three conservative parties won 67 seats, while the far left parties dropped 21 seats to a total of 55. This was a tremendous repudiation of the far left in New Zealand. Gun owners are only 5% of the population of New Zealand.
Nicole McKee was elected to the New Zealand Parliament in 2020. She is a member of ACT, a conservative/libertarian party in New Zealand. ACT has 11 of the 67 conservative seats. The conservative coalition government started a process to reform the draconian gun law shortly after being elected. McKee is heading up the effort. From the Hon Nicole McKee June 1, 2024:
“Cabinet has agreed to the registry review terms of reference and the review is now underway,” Associate Minister of Justice, Hon Nicole McKee says.
The Hon Nicole McKee has been keeping people informed of the new government’s progress on reforming the disastrous and confusing laws passed in 2019. Here are excerpts from her releases. Americans will realize that defense of self and others, or militia use for the common defense, are not mentioned. From a September 11, 2024 ,release:
“I am focused on producing the best firearms laws in the world – laws that are easy to comply with and improve public safety.
“The previous Labour Government’s rushed, knee-jerk law changes have not made New Zealanders safer. More people were convicted of a firearm-related offence in 2023 than in 2019 – up 18 per cent.
From a December 17, 2024, release:
“Most firearms users are law abiding and responsible people. Many New Zealanders use firearms to hunt for food for their families, to control introduced pests, in farming and agriculture, and in sporting and competitive events. All these activities are legitimate. They are all important because they benefit communities and help protect our natural environment.”
“The safety of our communities is at the heart of an effective firearms regime; it is important that everyone has confidence in how firearms are controlled. For that reason, everyone has a role to play in the rewrite of the Act. This upcoming round of public consultation is the first step in hearing from all New Zealanders about their views.”
From a release on March 2, 2025:
Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPOs) are made by the court when offenders have committed serious violent offences. They are in force for 10 years – prohibiting offenders from holding a firearms licence, and from being around or accessing firearms. Breaching the conditions of an FPO is a criminal offence, and offenders that do breach conditions can be liable for up to seven years in prison.
Legal Firearms Owner is abbreviated as LFO in the releases. From a November 11, 2025, press release by the Hon. Nicole McKee, Associate Minister of Justice:
“The current law has been modified dozens of times since it came into force over 40 years ago with many of those changes being rushed through with little to no scrutiny. The result is a complex, confusing and bureaucratic patchwork that makes it difficult for LFOs to comply while not adequately keeping the public safe.
“The new law will be written in plain English, structured logically and with public safety at its core. It makes it much more difficult for firearms to get into the hands of criminals while allowing LFOs to continue to use their firearms safely and responsibly.
Some parts of the reform effort appear to be making the law more severe. New Zealand does not have a Second Amendment. Firearm owners are only five percent of the population.
From Hon. Nicole McKee’s release:
“Penalties for over 60 Arms Act offences will be increased, and eight new offences will be created – including new offences to reduce firearms entering the black market such as for straw buying and possessing a firearm with identification markings intentionally removed.
The Hon Nicole McKee is an impressive woman. She appears to be doing the best she can with the situation as it exists. With only five percent of the population as legal gun owners and no Second Amendment, she is pushing for the rule of law when it comes to firearm ownership in New Zealand.
The assumption is that firearms ownership will be legal if the rules are followed. She is focusing on making the rules clear and easy to follow. It may be the best that can be expected in New Zealand. The law is in the formative stage. We will not know the particulars until it actually passes the New Zealand parliament.
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
