Thread: we are up against stupidity

ohhh good lord read this and weep they are out there and we have to maintain a united front get those surveys done join COLFLO etc etc

By Alexander Gillespie* of
The Conversation

The Conversation
A Customs investigation has led to five arrests in Auckland and the seizure of over 1.36 million illicit cigarettes, two firearms, and a substantial amount of cash as part of Operation Montreal.File photo. Photo: Supplied / Customs
Analysis - Nearly 30 years before the Christchurch terror attacks of 15 March 2019, New Zealand had to grapple with the horrors of another mass shooting. The Aramoana massacre on 13 November 1990 left 13 people dead and a nation reeling.

However, the firearms law changes made in the aftermath were inadequate, and the failure to tighten regulations arguably left the door open for the Christchurch atrocity - committed by a licensed firearms owner.

By contrast, after the Port Arthur massacre that killed 35 people on 28 April 1996, Australia adopted fundamental changes to its firearms laws and banned semiautomatic rifles.

Later analysis suggests those reforms helped avoid a likely 16 mass shootings. New Zealand didn't match the Australian example, and it wasn't until the Christchurch attacks that vast improvements to firearms laws were enacted.

However, New Zealand still differs in significant ways from Australian federal and state models. With our Arms Act under review, and with a major rewrite due probably later this year, there are six key areas where we might learn from our nearest neighbour.

Aramoana Massacre MemorialThe memorial at Aramoana to the 13 people killed in the 1990 mass shooting. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
1. Genuine reasons to own a firearm
Australia and New Zealand both treat the possession of a firearm as a legal privilege, not a right as it is in the United States. But Australia differs in that a licence applicant must show a genuine reason to possess the firearms.

This is typically associated with other requirements, such as a gun club membership or proof of other reasons to own a firearm such as occupational or recreational needs.

Australia also has a 28-day "cooling off" period between an applicant being granted a licence and their ability to buy a firearm.

Licensed gun owners can only buy ammunition suited to the specifically licensed firearm. Australia, like Canada, also sets a maximum magazine capacity of ten cartridges for most handguns.

Currently, New Zealand gun laws do not carry any of these restrictions.

2. The right character referees
Like Australia, New Zealand requires firearms owners to be "fit and proper" people. But none of the eight Australian state or territorial jurisdictions accept self-nominated character referees.

Instead, they apply a more investigative approach, during which police may talk to a wider range of people to assess the suitability of applicants. Each step of the process is laid out in greater detail, such as when health risk assessments may be required.

3. A more robust firearms register
Australia has taken firearms registration - and the traceability of every gun - very seriously since the shooting of two police officers and a member of the public in an ambush attack in rural Queensland in 2022.

Queensland police say Constable Rachel McCrow, 29, and Constable Matthew Arnold, 26, were killed in a seige at a remote rural property.Queensland police say Constable Rachel McCrow, 29, and Constable Matthew Arnold, 26, were killed in a siege at a remote rural Queensland property in 2022. Photo: Supplied/ Queensland Police
A lack of real-time available information about the offenders was identified as a contributing factor in the tragedy.

A national firearms register, hosted by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, is under construction. This will provide front-line officers with information on owners, firearms and parts, linked to other relevant police and government data.

Unlike in New Zealand, Australian authorities do not accept sales or transfers between individual firearms owners. These must go through registered dealers, who act as brokers for the transfer, adding an extra layer of security.

But the key lesson from Australia is that to be effective, firearms registries should sit within the police, not civilian bureaucracies.

4. A gradual licence system for young people
In New Zealand, an applicant for a firearms licence must be at least 16 years old. But there is no minimum age requirement for handling a firearm, only the rule that a young person must be under the "immediate supervision" of someone with a firearms licence.

There have been suggestions of adapted firearms licence safety courses in schools, which would see year 11 to 13 pupils receive initial vetting and a certificate as a stepping stone towards a full licence.

It's a promising idea, but given the known risks of young people and violent extremism, and the international experience of school shootings, this would need to be managed carefully.

An alternative might be the Australian approach, where young people are more formally brought into the licensing system with a "minor's permit". These are similar to a learner driver's licence, with the aim of easing young people into responsible firearms ownership.

5. Limits on how many firearms can be owned
Large caches of fully operable firearms (unlike vintage collections, which are permanently inoperable) can attract criminal attention, for obvious reasons.

Western Australia is the first state to impose a limit on the number of firearms an individual can hold, modelled on a number of European systems. A licensed competition shooter can own ten, and a licensed hunter five.

New Zealand has no limits on how many firearms a licensed holder may possess.

6. Strong firearms prohibition orders
The New Zealand Government came late to firearms prohibition orders, only realising their benefit in 2022.

These legal orders seek to prevent high-risk people from using, accessing or being around firearms. Although they have recently been augmented with greater search powers, only about 120 orders have been issued.

By comparison, since its own law was created in 1996, New South Wales has issued thousands of orders. In other words, it requires decades of work to mitigate risks to public safety.

The much-needed rewrite of the Arms Act is a chance to learn from best practice around the world. Closest to home, Australia has laws, practices and proven results that should prompt us to ask, why not here?


- This article was originally published on The Conversation.


* Alexander Gillespie is a professor of law at the University of Waikato

And Australia clearly has lower gun crime rates than NZ showing thier system works....Oh wait ...its much worse thasn ours you say...well'll be buggered - Maybe the Aussie system doesn't work then.....

In truth if you look closely at What Aussie has done, you can see it is a clear example of how it does NOT work...Gun crime is higher, there are brazen assasinations of criminals , weapon crime is higher, and the ONLY people being punished for it are the law abiding licensed owners who lose more of their sport and passion every time a law change is made and nothing is done to combat the actual crime....If that twat thinks Aussies system is so good, he should move to the University of Perth and leave us the hell alone...

Originally Posted by timattalon

And Australia clearly has lower gun crime rates than NZ showing thier system works....Oh wait ...its much worse thasn ours you say...well'll be buggered - Maybe the Aussie system doesn't work then.....

In truth if you look closely at What Aussie has done, you can see it is a clear example of how it does NOT work...Gun crime is higher, there are brazen assasinations of criminals , weapon crime is higher, and the ONLY people being punished for it are the law abiding licensed owners who lose more of their sport and passion every time a law change is made and nothing is done to combat the actual crime....If that twat thinks Aussies system is so good, he should move to the University of Perth and leave us the hell alone...

And don't quote me, I have not fact checked this;

The Australian Govt changed the definition of Mass Killing, or whatever they call it, so as to make the statistics look better subsequent to 1996.

If I have the right of it, mass killing by definition in aus is 4 killed or more and does not include Govt workers such as Police. That's by any method not just homicide by firearms. They skewed the accounting on it to improve the figures and to my mind it's quite blatant.

If you look back through the Aussie gangland related crime over there, it's heavily populated with targeted assassinations perpetrated with guns. But hey, much safer than NZ...

That Gillespie is the biggest limp wrist around. He's an "expert" ( self-described) on various topics and actively seeks out publicity. Clearly the darling of the hand-wringers.

Now where did we put that “Fuck me dead” emoji?

Originally Posted by timattalon

And Australia clearly has lower gun crime rates than NZ showing thier system works....Oh wait ...its much worse thasn ours you say...well'll be buggered - Maybe the Aussie system doesn't work then.....

In truth if you look closely at What Aussie has done, you can see it is a clear example of how it does NOT work...Gun crime is higher, there are brazen assasinations of criminals , weapon crime is higher, and the ONLY people being punished for it are the law abiding licensed owners who lose more of their sport and passion every time a law change is made and nothing is done to combat the actual crime....If that twat thinks Aussies system is so good, he should move to the University of Perth and leave us the hell alone...

I wonder what Australia's stats would be if they hadn't exported a heap of their criminals.

Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

ohhh good lord read this and weep they are out there and we have to maintain a united front get those surveys done join COLFLO etc etc

By Alexander Gillespie* of
The Conversation

The Conversation
A Customs investigation has led to five arrests in Auckland and the seizure of over 1.36 million illicit cigarettes, two firearms, and a substantial amount of cash as part of Operation Montreal.File photo. Photo: Supplied / Customs
Analysis - Nearly 30 years before the Christchurch terror attacks of 15 March 2019, New Zealand had to grapple with the horrors of another mass shooting. The Aramoana massacre on 13 November 1990 left 13 people dead and a nation reeling.

However, the firearms law changes made in the aftermath were inadequate, and the failure to tighten regulations arguably left the door open for the Christchurch atrocity - committed by a licensed firearms owner.

By contrast, after the Port Arthur massacre that killed 35 people on 28 April 1996, Australia adopted fundamental changes to its firearms laws and banned semiautomatic rifles.

Later analysis suggests those reforms helped avoid a likely 16 mass shootings. New Zealand didn't match the Australian example, and it wasn't until the Christchurch attacks that vast improvements to firearms laws were enacted.

However, New Zealand still differs in significant ways from Australian federal and state models. With our Arms Act under review, and with a major rewrite due probably later this year, there are six key areas where we might learn from our nearest neighbour.

Aramoana Massacre MemorialThe memorial at Aramoana to the 13 people killed in the 1990 mass shooting. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
1. Genuine reasons to own a firearm
Australia and New Zealand both treat the possession of a firearm as a legal privilege, not a right as it is in the United States. But Australia differs in that a licence applicant must show a genuine reason to possess the firearms.

This is typically associated with other requirements, such as a gun club membership or proof of other reasons to own a firearm such as occupational or recreational needs.

Australia also has a 28-day "cooling off" period between an applicant being granted a licence and their ability to buy a firearm.

Licensed gun owners can only buy ammunition suited to the specifically licensed firearm. Australia, like Canada, also sets a maximum magazine capacity of ten cartridges for most handguns.

Currently, New Zealand gun laws do not carry any of these restrictions.

2. The right character referees
Like Australia, New Zealand requires firearms owners to be "fit and proper" people. But none of the eight Australian state or territorial jurisdictions accept self-nominated character referees.

Instead, they apply a more investigative approach, during which police may talk to a wider range of people to assess the suitability of applicants. Each step of the process is laid out in greater detail, such as when health risk assessments may be required.

3. A more robust firearms register
Australia has taken firearms registration - and the traceability of every gun - very seriously since the shooting of two police officers and a member of the public in an ambush attack in rural Queensland in 2022.

Queensland police say Constable Rachel McCrow, 29, and Constable Matthew Arnold, 26, were killed in a seige at a remote rural property.Queensland police say Constable Rachel McCrow, 29, and Constable Matthew Arnold, 26, were killed in a siege at a remote rural Queensland property in 2022. Photo: Supplied/ Queensland Police
A lack of real-time available information about the offenders was identified as a contributing factor in the tragedy.

A national firearms register, hosted by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, is under construction. This will provide front-line officers with information on owners, firearms and parts, linked to other relevant police and government data.

Unlike in New Zealand, Australian authorities do not accept sales or transfers between individual firearms owners. These must go through registered dealers, who act as brokers for the transfer, adding an extra layer of security.

But the key lesson from Australia is that to be effective, firearms registries should sit within the police, not civilian bureaucracies.

4. A gradual licence system for young people
In New Zealand, an applicant for a firearms licence must be at least 16 years old. But there is no minimum age requirement for handling a firearm, only the rule that a young person must be under the "immediate supervision" of someone with a firearms licence.

There have been suggestions of adapted firearms licence safety courses in schools, which would see year 11 to 13 pupils receive initial vetting and a certificate as a stepping stone towards a full licence.

It's a promising idea, but given the known risks of young people and violent extremism, and the international experience of school shootings, this would need to be managed carefully.

An alternative might be the Australian approach, where young people are more formally brought into the licensing system with a "minor's permit". These are similar to a learner driver's licence, with the aim of easing young people into responsible firearms ownership.

5. Limits on how many firearms can be owned
Large caches of fully operable firearms (unlike vintage collections, which are permanently inoperable) can attract criminal attention, for obvious reasons.

Western Australia is the first state to impose a limit on the number of firearms an individual can hold, modelled on a number of European systems. A licensed competition shooter can own ten, and a licensed hunter five.

New Zealand has no limits on how many firearms a licensed holder may possess.

6. Strong firearms prohibition orders
The New Zealand Government came late to firearms prohibition orders, only realising their benefit in 2022.

These legal orders seek to prevent high-risk people from using, accessing or being around firearms. Although they have recently been augmented with greater search powers, only about 120 orders have been issued.

By comparison, since its own law was created in 1996, New South Wales has issued thousands of orders. In other words, it requires decades of work to mitigate risks to public safety.

The much-needed rewrite of the Arms Act is a chance to learn from best practice around the world. Closest to home, Australia has laws, practices and proven results that should prompt us to ask, why not here?


- This article was originally published on The Conversation.


* Alexander Gillespie is a professor of law at the University of Waikato

Gillespie is an over-emotive wally who spouts half truths and conjecture.
(I wonder why he chose Aussie and not USA when comparing gun laws??)

The man is an academic ,a lot ,but not all ,of whom seem to live in ivory towers.

Furthermore he is immersed the the word of law -hmmmmmm going on what Ive read recently theyve had more than a few harbingers of crime in their sphere too! five fingewr discounting clients funds ,telling clients porkies ,charging for work not done ,and the mad bitch in auckland who married her equally heinous rapist murderer after being caught smuggling shit iinto the concrete lover house for him.

The emotive crap he spouts is simply manipulative in that people who apart from a fear of the unknown (guns)and well stoked hysteria fed by certain unionists ,the media and those who have little else to occupy their time apart from jumping on the bandwagon to tell others how to run their lives greenies being an example who look to guys like him and swallow this hook line and sinker without question.

A certain austrian corporal adopted a somewhat similar approach although typically it turned to shit in the end.

If one sought out any academic Prof Gary Mauser of Simon Fraser university BC Canada was regarded as world no 1 in this field -a man who once commented Nz had the most commonsense and workable arms act in the world .he also ratshitted the ginger pie alpers and cos research much vaunted and used by Nz labour polis!

Ive some of Mausers published works and as an retired psychiatric nurse Id prefer his research over any shit from NZ or australia for that matter.a couple of aussie academics have published research showing what a FUBAR auusies firearm law is but typically they piss inot a norwester.

Finally despite the police loudly trumpetting how theyre getting the weapons off gangstas (including cut down airrifles and BB pistols,a lot of these crims are still treated very leniently by the beak

.

They know they're lying, We know they're lying, They know that we know they're lying...

Originally Posted by No.3

If you look back through the Aussie gangland related crime over there, it's heavily populated with targeted assassinations perpetrated with guns. But hey, much safer than NZ...

There have been a couple in the last few months. Most if not all, Middle Eastern organised crime groups

"By contrast, after the Port Arthur massacre that killed 35 people on 28 April 1996, Australia adopted fundamental changes to its firearms laws and banned semiautomatic rifles."

Not withstanding the rifle used in this shooting was recorded as having been destroyed by Australian Police, before the shooting occured - strange how the emotive narrative never fits the facts????

Originally Posted by Basenjiboy

"By contrast, after the Port Arthur massacre that killed 35 people on 28 April 1996, Australia adopted fundamental changes to its firearms laws and banned semiautomatic rifles."

Not withstanding the rifle used in this shooting was recorded as having been destroyed by Australian Police, before the shooting occured - strange how the emotive narrative never fits the facts????

Really??? Do tell!

yes I seem to remember that story to- rifle was handed in supposedly destroyed and then turned up some time later as a murder weapon

Originally Posted by kotuku

Furthermore he is immersed the the word of law -hmmmmmm going on what Ive read recently theyve had more than a few harbingers of crime in their sphere too! five fingewr discounting clients funds ,telling clients porkies ,charging for work not done ,and the mad bitch in auckland who married her equally heinous rapist murderer after being caught smuggling shit iinto the concrete lover house for him.
.

Throw Clayton Weatherston on that list of yours too.

Originally Posted by kotuku

Finally despite the police loudly trumpetting how theyre getting the weapons off gangstas (including cut down airrifles and BB pistols,a lot of these crims are still treated very leniently by the beak
.

Don’t underestimate the power of air rifles, I’ve seen two siblings under the ages of 10 play with a spring loaded air rifle, one sibling shot the other accidentally with the pellet lodging 6mm from his heart… very lucky child.

As for sentences, it’s soft sentences across the board for everything, ever noticed how even sentences for meth dealing have gone from terms of imprisonment to community based sentences in the past 4 years!