The Council of Licensed Firearms Owners (COLFO) has welcomed the Government’s Arms Act rewrite discussion document, particularly its focus to reduce the effect of unconscious Police biases and structural racism during the firearms licensing process.

A 2024 report, Understanding Policing Delivery, found bias in the Police force had led to unfair targeting of Māori and low socioeconomic communities.[1]

Under Section 27 of the Arms Act, individual police officers have broad discretion to determine who is ‘fit and proper’ to hold a firearms licence, with no clear, objective legal standards.

“As it is, the licensing process opens the door to discrimination, inconsistency, and abuse of power,” says COLFO spokesperson Hugh Devereux-Mack.

“We believe individuals have been denied a firearms license because of unfair stereotypes about their level of responsibility and safety to hold and use firearms."

As of January 2024, of those license holders who had declared their ethnicity, only 6.5% are Māori, 2.4% are Asian, and 0.4% are Pasifika. Only 8.4% of all firearm license holders are women.[2]

COLFO wants objective criteria enshrined in the Act to guide firearms license assessors on what makes a ‘fit and proper’ person.

“Applicants should not need to worry about being treated unfairly due to prejudices held by their assigned Arms Officer,” says Devereux-Mack.

“Likewise, we want more people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to be able to enjoy the fresh venison and comraderies that come with firearm ownership in New Zealand."

Devereux-Mack said the current Arms Act traced its history back to New Zealand’s first firearms law, the Arms Importation Ordinance of 1845, which aimed to restrict the supply of “warlike stores” for the purpose of “subduing the present insurrection” of Māori.[3]

Submissions on the discussion document close at the end of this week. COLFO has developed a submission guide to help firearm owners interpret the discussion document and encourages anyone with questions to get in touch.

Note:

[1] https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/525785/maori-men-more-likely-to-be-stopped-tasered-prosecuted-by-police-due-to-bias-and-structural-racism

[2] https://www.firearmssafetyauthority.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2025-02/Firearms%20Public%20Dashboard%20-%20January25.pdf

[3] https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/gun-country/

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