6 November 2018
Our Reference: IR-01-18-10572
Mr Kane Barber
Email: [FYI request #8601 email]
Dear Mr Barber
I am writing to you in response to your request dated 3 September 2018 made pursuant
to the Official Information Act 1982, which asked:
I would like to request any documentation Police have outlined for the future of
firearm regulations planned for firearm license holders, specifically A
endorsement.
Further to this, I would also like the documents Police currently have which define
what features a firearm must have in order to be considered an 'Assault Rifle', as
Police website has a form (https://forms.police.govt.nz/firearms/visitors-
application) which portrays an MSSA to be also considered an Assault Rifle
(Under the "Firearm types you are permitted to possess in your home country"
section). What is commonly referred to as an Assault Rifle would require it to
have selective fire rates (Semi, Burst, Auto), so this is very confusing why the
association is being made between MSSA and "Assault Rifle".
You have not specified a timeframe for this advice so I have limited it to advice provided
to this Government and included Police’s advice to Law and Order Committee’s
Inquiry
into Issues Relating to the Illegal Possession of Firearms in New Zealand.
Police’s recommendations on areas for improvement to the regulatory regime are
included in the following:
Police’s report to the Law and Order Committee’s
Inquiry into Issues Relating to
the Illegal Possession of Firearms in New Zealand. This can be accessed at the
following links:
o
https://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-
NZ/51SCLO_ADV_00DBSCH_INQ_68642_1_A553625/88404c20f4a4cd
a9e60ef3665c55638667f04fac
o
https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/submissions-and-
advice/document/51SCLO_ADV_00DBSCH_INQ_68642_1_A550337/ne
w-zealand-police-response-to-nz-first-comments-on-draft
o
https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/submissions-and-
advice/document/51SCLO_ADV_00DBSCH_INQ_68642_1_A531476/de
partmental-report
Police National Headquarters 180 Molesworth Street. PO Box 3017, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.
Telephone: 04 474 9499. Fax: 04 498 7400. www.police.govt.nz
Police’s advice to the Incoming Minister. This can be accessed at the following
links:
o
http://www.police.govt.nz/about-us/publication/briefing-firearms-act
o
http://www.police.govt.nz/about-us/publication/briefing-incoming-minister-
2017
Please note that the above links address several aspects of the regulatory framework of
the Arms Act 1983 and Arms Regulations 1992, only some of these will be specific to A-
category firearms.
Two additional documents are provided:
“Arms (Firearms Prohibition Orders) Amendment Bil – Member’s Bil ”. Parts of
this have been redacted: one of these redactions is because paragraph 25 is out
of scope of your request, the others are withheld in accordance with section
9(2)(f)(iv) of the Official Information Act 1982 as the advice remains under active
consideration, and contact details have been withheld under section 9(2)(a) of the
Official Information Act 1982 to protect the privacy of individuals.
“Private Member’s Consultation Draft: Arms (Prohibition on Shortened Firearm)
Amendment Bill". Parts of this document are withheld in accordance with section
9(2)(f)(iv) of the Official Information Act 1982 as the advice remains under active
consideration, and contact details have been withheld under section 9(2)(a) of the
Official Information Act 1982 to protect the privacy of individuals.
Two further documents have been withheld in full in accordance with section 9(2)(f)(iv) of
the Official Information Act 1982 as the advice remains under active consideration.
Regarding your second question, the word “assault rifle” was included in the visitor web
form to assist USA applicants who were referring to their semi-automatic AR type rifles as
such. This addition helped reduce the number of many phone calls to Police from people
seeking an explanation as to what class of firearm the visitor should declare their firearm
to be. These firearms known as assault firearms by visitors from the USA are MSSA
firearms in New Zealand parlance.
Police has not defined “assault rifle” as it has no meaning in New Zealand law.
Yours sincerely
Mike McIlraith
Acting Superintendent
Arms Act Service Delivery Group
