6 ms·

New Zeland bans all military-style semi-automatic guns and assault rifles

33 points by sahin-boydas 8y ago

platry 8y ago
Correction: Military only.
- dev_dull 8y ago
  Military “style” only. I can’t find where they make that distinction.
  - namdnay 8y ago
    https://www.police.govt.nz/sites/default/files/publications/the-arms-code-2013.pdf https://www.police.govt.nz/sites/default/files/publications/... page 34
  - Kephael 8y ago
    Probably means anything that looks like it was designed after 1940. The Australian Gun Control lobby is calling for bans on "military style" bolt action and lever action rifles. These were military rifles at the end of the 19th century. "military style" means whatever they want to ban.
identity-haver 8y ago
Is a "military-style" gun kind of like a "sports-style" car? Snark aside, this is some pretty weak reporting. Was their parliament or whatever involved at all? The article makes it sound like their prime minister can just arbitrarily ban guns, creating crimes, but I doubt that's really the case. Also the term "buyback" is a really bad term, since it usually implies a voluntary nature. This is really a "forced buyback" or confiscation.
- madeofpalk 8y ago
  'buyback' seems to be the commonly accepted term - Australia had one in 1996 after a mass shooting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_buyback_program#Australia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_buyback_program#Australia
- ceejayoz 8y ago
  Per https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/20/asia/new-zealand-christchurch-gun-ban-intl/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/20/asia/new-zealand-christchurch...: > The gun reform proposal will be introduced to Parliament in the first week of April. For it to come into effect, lawmakers need to vote on amending the existing legislation, the Arms Act 1983. > In the interim, New Zealand Governor General Patsy Reddy has signed an order to reclassify some semi-automatic weapons as "military-style". > As a result, many people who legally owned certain firearms will no longer be able to possess them on their existing license conditions. So, a bit of both. The Government can make some immediate changes; others require Parliament's involvement in the near future. (Presumably there's an agreement already largely worked out there.)
- dev_dull 8y ago
  That’s the same type of reporting I’ve seen everywhere. “New Zealand bans guns” — can a single PM even do that? Is there any debate in their parliament regarding the move? Do citizens have the same constitutional protections there as they do here w.r.t. gun ownership? It’s almost like the headlines are written in such a way as to say “See? It’s just that easy!”
  - pjc50 8y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_New_Zealand https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_New_Zealand : apparently NZ has a UK-style uncodified constitution. I think the only country that defines weapon ownership as a right is the US?
    - LyndsySimon 8y ago
      Off the top of my head, Mexico, Haiti, and Guatemala all have a "Right to Bear Arms" in some form. It's widely ignored in Mexico, though. I also know that there are several countries where firearms are widely available to private citizens, both in their homes and in public, such as the Czech Republic.
gnicholas 8y ago
More details from the NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/20/world/asia/new-zealand-gun-ban.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/20/world/asia/new-zealand-gu... This does not yet have Parliamentary approval, but is expected to pass. It includes mandatory buybacks, but since they do not have a gun registry law they will have some challenges measuring compliance.
- LyndsySimon 8y ago
  Only "Class E" firearms are themselves registered, to my knowledge. A holder of a less permissive license can purchase very similar firearms, so long as they are modified to be in compliance (e.g., have a thumb-hole stock instead of a traditional pistol grip) and they only use 7-round magazines.
europsucks 8y ago
What happened to the "no politics" policy of HN?
- grzm 8y ago
  If you think a post is inappropriate for HN, you can flag it.
  - europsucks 8y ago
    Only after a certain score, I think. Also, not the point of policies, or is it?
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
detaro 8y ago
previously: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19450772 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19450772
maccio92 8y ago
New Zealand has fallen.

33 points by sahin-boydas 8y ago

platry 8y ago

Correction: Military only.

dev_dull 8y ago
Military “style” only. I can’t find where they make that distinction.
- namdnay 8y ago
  https://www.police.govt.nz/sites/default/files/publications/the-arms-code-2013.pdf https://www.police.govt.nz/sites/default/files/publications/... page 34
- Kephael 8y ago
  Probably means anything that looks like it was designed after 1940. The Australian Gun Control lobby is calling for bans on "military style" bolt action and lever action rifles. These were military rifles at the end of the 19th century. "military style" means whatever they want to ban.

identity-haver 8y ago

Is a "military-style" gun kind of like a "sports-style" car? Snark aside, this is some pretty weak reporting. Was their parliament or whatever involved at all? The article makes it sound like their prime minister can just arbitrarily ban guns, creating crimes, but I doubt that's really the case. Also the term "buyback" is a really bad term, since it usually implies a voluntary nature. This is really a "forced buyback" or confiscation.

madeofpalk 8y ago
'buyback' seems to be the commonly accepted term - Australia had one in 1996 after a mass shooting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_buyback_program#Australia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_buyback_program#Australia
ceejayoz 8y ago
Per https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/20/asia/new-zealand-christchurch-gun-ban-intl/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/20/asia/new-zealand-christchurch...: > The gun reform proposal will be introduced to Parliament in the first week of April. For it to come into effect, lawmakers need to vote on amending the existing legislation, the Arms Act 1983. > In the interim, New Zealand Governor General Patsy Reddy has signed an order to reclassify some semi-automatic weapons as "military-style". > As a result, many people who legally owned certain firearms will no longer be able to possess them on their existing license conditions. So, a bit of both. The Government can make some immediate changes; others require Parliament's involvement in the near future. (Presumably there's an agreement already largely worked out there.)
dev_dull 8y ago
That’s the same type of reporting I’ve seen everywhere. “New Zealand bans guns” — can a single PM even do that? Is there any debate in their parliament regarding the move? Do citizens have the same constitutional protections there as they do here w.r.t. gun ownership? It’s almost like the headlines are written in such a way as to say “See? It’s just that easy!”
- pjc50 8y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_New_Zealand https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_New_Zealand : apparently NZ has a UK-style uncodified constitution. I think the only country that defines weapon ownership as a right is the US?
  - LyndsySimon 8y ago
    Off the top of my head, Mexico, Haiti, and Guatemala all have a "Right to Bear Arms" in some form. It's widely ignored in Mexico, though. I also know that there are several countries where firearms are widely available to private citizens, both in their homes and in public, such as the Czech Republic.

gnicholas 8y ago

More details from the NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/20/world/asia/new-zealand-gun-ban.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/20/world/asia/new-zealand-gu... This does not yet have Parliamentary approval, but is expected to pass. It includes mandatory buybacks, but since they do not have a gun registry law they will have some challenges measuring compliance.

LyndsySimon 8y ago
Only "Class E" firearms are themselves registered, to my knowledge. A holder of a less permissive license can purchase very similar firearms, so long as they are modified to be in compliance (e.g., have a thumb-hole stock instead of a traditional pistol grip) and they only use 7-round magazines.

europsucks 8y ago

What happened to the "no politics" policy of HN?

grzm 8y ago
If you think a post is inappropriate for HN, you can flag it.
- europsucks 8y ago
  Only after a certain score, I think. Also, not the point of policies, or is it?
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]

detaro 8y ago

previously: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19450772 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19450772

maccio92 8y ago

New Zealand has fallen.