News
Sophia Ankel
Mar 18, 2019
Changes to New Zealand's gun reforms will be made within the next 10 days, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed, after a tragic terror attack in Christchurch last week.
Speaking after her weekly Cabinet meeting on Monday, Ardern said that ministers had agreed "in principle" to reform gun laws. She said:
Within 10 days of this horrific act of terrorism we will have announced reforms which will, I believe, make our community safer.
Acknowledging that the reforms might create uncertainty for some gun owner "for a short period", the prime minister also said:
I strongly believe that the vast majority of gun owners in New Zealand will agree with the sentiment that change needs to occur.
This announcement comes after some confusion after New Zealand’s Attorney General David Parker appeared to tell crowds at a vigil for the victims that automatic weapons would be banned in the country. He later clarified his initial comments saying that the "decision has not yet been finalised".
Speaking to Radio New Zealand, he said:
We need to ban some semi-automatics, perhaps all of them. Those decisions have yet to be taken, but the prime minister has signalled that we are going to look at that issue.
More: New Zealand shootings: How cartoonists have reacted to Christchurch mosque attack
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