The Nurses Society has made a submission to the Ministry of Justice on the proposed rewrite of the Arms Act.
The Society strongly advocates a tightening of gun control legislation and measures not the reverse as proposed by the current government.
In 2019 the Christchurch mosque attacks rocked Aotearoa New Zealand. The country mourned the loss of life and feared for public safety.
As the perpetrator used legally obtained military-style semi-automatic firearms, a key recommendation of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack was to heavily restrict access to these types of weapons, and to enhance the existing firearms regulatory system.
In response the government limited the purchase of automatic rifles in New Zealand and launched a “buy back” program to take semi-automatic rifles out of circulation. This saw widespread public support, however now the ACT party have committed to repealing these changes.
As the accessibility of semi-automatic firearms have been demonstrated to be directly correlated to instances of mass shootings, we worry that the proposed easing of access to powerful firearms will pose a significant threat to public safety and health, overwhelming an already critically stressed national healthcare system.
Emergency departments, nurses and other health workers must not be forced to carry the burden of increased gun violence.
The submission can be read here:
The Nurses Society has made a submission to the Ministry of Justice on the proposed rewrite of the Arms Act.
The Society strongly advocates a tightening of gun control legislation and measures not the reverse as proposed by the current government.
In 2019 the Christchurch mosque attacks rocked Aotearoa New Zealand. The country mourned the loss of life and feared for public safety.
As the perpetrator used legally obtained military-style semi-automatic firearms, a key recommendation of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack was to heavily restrict access to these types of weapons, and to enhance the existing firearms regulatory system.
In response the government limited the purchase of automatic rifles in New Zealand and launched a “buy back” program to take semi-automatic rifles out of circulation. This saw widespread public support, however now the ACT party have committed to repealing these changes.
As the accessibility of semi-automatic firearms have been demonstrated to be directly correlated to instances of mass shootings, we worry that the proposed easing of access to powerful firearms will pose a significant threat to public safety and health, overwhelming an already critically stressed national healthcare system.
Emergency departments, nurses and other health workers must not be forced to carry the burden of increased gun violence.
The submission can be read here: