Franks Stephen: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Franks Stephen: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:623;Page:18240] 
8.  
STEPHEN FRANKS (ACT) 
 to the  
Minister of Police 
: Why is he promoting changes to the Arms Act 1983 and how will the new tougher penalties be enforced? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS (Minister of Police) 
: 
 The new arms amendment bill is intended to further promote the safe use and control of firearms and weapons to enable New Zealand to comply with the United Nations firearms protocol. The bill will be introduced shortly. Enforcement of tougher penalties is a matter for the courts. 
Stephen Franks 
: What does the Minister think about the failure of the police to arrest Tame Iti for brandishing a shotgun on national television—a crime punishable under the existing Arms Act by up to 4 years in prison—and then gloating on National Radio the next morning about giving the Waitangi Tribunal judges the message saying: “They felt the heat of the fire. They felt the smoke.”; and what will the Minister do to ensure that his amended Act is enforced so that it does not mean in practice one law for selected Maori and another law for the rest of us? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: I think the Opposition member is a little premature. The police are still investigating that matter. They will if they have the evidence take action under the present Act. 
Martin Gallagher 
: Is the Government intending in the changes to the Arms Act to require the registration of individual firearms? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: No it is not intended to introduce a comprehensive domestic firearms registration system because those who have the intention to break the law on firearms will hardly go around registering them. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Can the Minister explain why he is so informed about the police investigation of the matter involving Mr Tame Iti but knew nothing when it came to days and days of questioning on the issue of what went on at Rocky Nook Avenue? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: I think the member has a bad memory. I refused to look into a file. The police have informed me that they are still looking into the Tame Iti case. 
Gerrard Eckhoff 
: How can the Minister stand by and allow the police of his department to tell farmers in rural New Zealand that if they brandish a firearm at an intruder who is threatening their property even at night they will face full prosecution by the law when quite patently Tame Iti and his gang are immune from prosecution for exactly the same offence? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: New Zealand’s laws covering self-defence are clear are of long standing and are shared by most other common law jurisdiction countries. The matter of Mr Iti is still under investigation. The New Zealand police are very thorough. 
Ron Mark 
: Will the Minister’s proposed amendments to the Arms Act make modern high-velocity bows and crossbows which have the ability to kill and to defeat modern body armour subject to the Act so that no one can purchase them whilst not being in possession of a firearms licence and not having been vetted by the police? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: The matter of crossbows is one of the things that I have been looking at and I imagine that the member’s concerns can be addressed during the select committee hearings. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: Is the Minister satisfied that the police are not simply dragging their feet when the whole of the country saw Tame Iti on national television brandishing a shotgun in a threatening manner in front of the Waitangi Tribunal; and why was Tame Iti not arrested at the first opportunity? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: The police are still investigating the matter. They want to be sure that any prosecution will be successful. 
Stephen Franks 
: Why is the Minister bothering to tinker with more rules for the Arms Act when the existing Act has powers of search and seizure without warrant and when only 4 months ago the police managed to arrest immediately a peaceful demonstrator who had the misfortune to be attacked by a mob the police could not protect him against and who stood on the bonnet of his car as bottles were thrown at him and he was convicted for possessing a tiny knife in the car? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: Although that has nothing to do with the original question I can say to the member that the police are very thorough and do have a good record in New Zealand. I wonder whether that member has laid a complaint with the police himself or whether he just grandstands. I do not direct the police in the way they carry out their duties.