New Zealand Parliament bans assault weapons

Tonight the Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines, and Parts) Amendment Bill passed its Third Reading, which means it’s been passed by the NZ Parliament. All Members of Parliament voted for the bill (except for a lone MP who is from a one-person “party”). It now goes to the Governor General for Royal Assent, so it will be law by Friday.

And that’s it: 26 days after the attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand has outlawed the weapons the terrorist used (the same type of guns that mass shooters in the USA prefer). The details on the government’s buyback scheme will be announced next month. First, it was important to get the statutory authority to do that.

We had the usual whingeing from some gun owners, and, of course, the dealers who make money selling them. We also had some gun nuts (because that’s absolutely how they sounded…) chiming in, using the tired, banal, empty, shallow, and pathetically stupid talking points supplied by the USA’s NRA, but it was all for nothing. New Zealanders wanted the guns banned—in fact, most had no idea they were ever legal for anyone. That problem’s now fixed.

Other countries will do—or not do—what they want, but this is New Zealand. This is what the people of New Zealand wanted to happen, and now it has. We don’t care in the least what people in other countries think about this, especially what opponents think. They don’t live here. Maybe passing this law will ensure they never will live here, which, on balance, sounds like a pretty good deal for us.

The video up top is from the Facebook Page of the New Zealand Labour Party, and features New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern making the opening speech in tonight's Third Reading debate.