10. Question No. 10—PoliceGINNY ANDERSEN (Labour—Hutt South) to the Minister of PoliceQuestion No. 10—Police10. GINNY ANDERSEN (Labour—Hutt South) to the Minister of Police: What steps is the Government taking to tackle firearms violence?Hon POTO WILLIAMS (Minister of Police): Tēnā koe Mr Speaker. This Government has committed to the most significant reform of our firearms laws in recent times. Last week the Arms Amendment Regulations 2021 came into effect. This will tighten up the firearms licence application process by requiring additional information from applicants including a list of countries visited in the last five years. Following the terrorist attack of March 15 the Government has moved to take 60000 military-style weapons off the streets. We've also established a ministerial arms advisory group to assist these reforms. We're setting up a new purpose-built firearms unit within police to implement these reforms and by June 2023 we will have a comprehensive register in place that will help to fill a 30-year deficit of information when it comes to firearms in our community.Ginny Andersen: What other steps is the Government taking to reduce gun crime?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: This Government is introducing a comprehensive firearms prohibition order (FPO) regime which is part of our plan to reduce firearms violence. The bill which will have its first reading in the House later today will allow the courts to apply a FPO on someone who has committed a serious offence under the Arms Act 1983 the Crimes Act 1961 and the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002. This is a significant step in the Government's ongoing commitment to protect the public from the harm inflicted by firearms and to ensure that they do not fall into the wrong hands.Hon Mark Mitchell: What is her response to Kāinga Ora chief executive Andrew McKenzie's statement today Living up here in Auckland particularly with the level of gun … violence which has impacted on our customers there's certainly a fear in the community."?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: I know that Kāinga Ora has worked hard to ensure that they provide the appropriate mechanisms in place to ensure that their tenants and the communities and their neighbourhoods are as safe as possible. And I know that they work hand in hand with the police when the police are required to intervene in these cases.Ginny Andersen: What impact will firearm prohibition orders have on gun crime?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: What we've seen from firearms prohibition order regime around the world is that they are a highly effective tool used to reduce gun crime. A person who is subject to an FPO will be banned from accessing using or owning a firearm for a decade. Breaching the order will be a criminal offence. High-risk offenders subject to such an order will no longer be able to use licensed gun owners as a front for their illegal firearms. This is yet another tool this Government is putting in place to crack down on gun violence in New Zealand.Nicole McKee: Is the Minister certain that it's 60000 military-style semi-automatics that have been handed in by complying licence owners as she continuously repeats or is it a figure of 60000 firearms that have been handed in by licensed firearm owners not only military-style semi-automatics?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: My understanding is that the 60000 are what is termed a "military-style semi-automatic" as I have been quoting. However if this is not correct I am more than prepared to correct the statement in the House—and I shall check that."