12. Question No. 12—PoliceBRETT HUDSON (National) to the Minister of PoliceQuestion No. 12—Police12. BRETT HUDSON (National) to the Minister of Police: How many incidents were there between 1 January and the end of March in 2020 involving firearms and gang members or associates?Hon STUART NASH (Minister of Police): The crackdown by police on organised crime which has been made possible by a significant increase in police numbers and a greater mandate by this Government to go hard on gun crime is having a marked impact. I'm pleased to report that police have detected disrupted or attended just under a thousand firearms instances during that period; 88 percent of these instances were by members of the general public. The incidents ranged from selling ammunition without a licence to pointing a firearm at a police officer. For example of those charged with presenting a firearm at a person five were gang members but 29 were members of the general public. This is why we needed tougher penalties for gun crime which that party opposed.Brett Hudson: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Minister gave a lot of information there about general members of the public in firearms incidents or offences. The question was specifically related to gang members and associates and it was on notice in writing.SPEAKER: And I think the member at least addressed the question. Whether he gave all the information that the member wanted I'm not sure.Brett Hudson: Is the Minister concerned about the number being 156 incidents between 1 January and 9 March at least—is he concerned with that number of offences committed by gang members or gang associates?Hon STUART NASH: What I can tell that member I am concerned about is that when we came to office police numbers had dropped in the previous five years of the past Government and thanks to New Zealand First we have delivered over 2250 new front-line officers into our communities. My concerns around the lack of police have been addressed due to this coalition Government. SPEAKER: Order! Order! Now the member will address the question that was asked.Hon STUART NASH: Whenever there is a firearms incident that has occurred in this country no matter by whom I have concerns. It is why we have significantly increased the penalty for gun crime and if that member was as concerned as I was he would have backed the bill.Brett Hudson: Has he seen reports of firearms incidents involving gang members or associates resulting in significant physical harm or death to others?Hon STUART NASH: I have seen reports and concerns of firearms crimes being committed but as I mentioned 88 percent of firearms crimes committed in this country were actually by members of the general public not by gang members. I think that member needs to widen his scope if he is really concerned about fighting firearms offences.Brett Hudson: Why then did he not support my firearms prohibition orders member's bill to take guns out of the hands of gang members that present the greatest risk to public safety along with the majority of Parliament this morning?Hon STUART NASH: I think I made it clear in my primary answer: 88 percent of gun crime was not committed by gang members. That member's member's bill dealt specifically with gangs. The regime we are looking at deals with every single person who poses a threat to our communities—it's not just gangs. The other thing I would say is two Attorneys-General and his previous Prime Minister Bill English said that his bill was absolute rubbish.