Opposition politicians and gun owner lobby call gun amnesty scheme a failure
While New Zealand police praised firearms owners for handing in their now illegal weapons as part of a buyback and amnesty scheme, opposition politicians and the gun owner lobby have called it a failure
21 December 2019
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's government banned military-style semi-automatic weapons less than a month after 51 people were killed and 50 injured in the Christchurch mosques massacre.
Gun owners had until yesterday to return their firearms to receive a payout.
56,250 firearms and 194,245 parts have been handed in.
The National Party's Mark Mitchell says police failed to buy back "anywhere near the number of firearms they were aiming for."
Nicole McKee, spokesperson of the lobbying group Council of Licenced Firearms Owners, says they believe "two thirds of the firearms banned have been retained by owners."
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