2. Question No. 2—Justice (Firearms)MARK CAMERON (ACT) to the Associate Minister of Justice (Firearms)Question No. 2—Justice (Firearms)2. MARK CAMERON (ACT) to the Associate Minister of Justice (Firearms): What law changes is the Government proposing in relation to firearms?Hon NICOLE McKEE (Associate Minister of Justice (Firearms)): This Government is committed to rewriting the Arms Act 1983. Rushed law changes by the previous Government have failed to make New Zealanders safer from firearms violence and have unfairly punished law-abiding licensed firearm owners. This Government is committed to creating an enduring Arms Act which increases public safety simplifies regulatory requirements and improves compliance. [Interruption]SPEAKER: Just a moment—just a moment. The noise is too much. It's a very serious topic and it should not be a topic that ends up with a Minister shouted down. Questions can be asked in silence—that's the respect that the House shows to the questioner—but there should be a little bit more attention paid by way of simply listening to the answers being given by Ministers.Hon James Shaw: Point of order. Thank you. I've got two points of order then Mr Speaker. The first one was just around rulings about patsy questions being used to attack the Opposition which was contained in the answer that the Minister gave in her primary response and I just wanted to get your view on that. And the second one was just to kind of clarify what happens when a Government Minister is making policy statements on behalf of the Government when the Prime Minister has just said that there have been no papers received or discussions had.SPEAKER: Well on the first point I couldn't hear what was being said because of the noise to my left. On the second point a Minister's answers are for the House to make a determination about not for the Speaker. Mark Cameron: Supplementary.SPEAKER: Cameron Luxton.Mark Cameron: Mark Cameron—but thank you Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: Mark Cameron.Mark Cameron: Easy mistake to make!SPEAKER: My sincere apologies Mark Cameron.Mark Cameron: Thank you Mr Speaker. What immediate changes is the Government proposing?Hon NICOLE McKEE: The previous Government's over-regulation on clubs and ranges have forced several to shut down. It is imperative for New Zealanders to have access to secure venues for firearms usage. The absence of such facilities poses additional risks to the community. Therefore we are dedicated to overturning these unnecessary regulations to ensure the safety and the availability of these important spaces.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Has she received or requested any advice on increasing access to military-style semi-automatic weapons?Hon NICOLE McKEE: No.Mark Cameron: Which firearm laws is the Government going to review?Hon NICOLE McKEE: The Government will review the effectiveness of the firearms registry in enhancing public safety. Concerns raised by licensed firearm owners regarding privacy breaches and unjustifiable costs warrant a thorough evaluation. The review will commence no later than June 2024.Mark Cameron: What steps is the Government taking to target gang members holding firearms illegally?Hon NICOLE McKEE: This Government is committed to giving police greater powers to search gang members for illegally held firearms. This legislation will be introduced to Parliament within the first 100 days of Government as outlined in the National-ACT coalition agreement.Hon James Shaw: Point of order. Just in relation to that answer and the one to the question before that that does appear to contradict what the Prime Minister just said about no decisions having been made or any papers or discussions being read. And I just wondered if the Prime Minister might need to correct his answer to the earlier question.SPEAKER: Well with all due respect that is not a point of order. That is a point that you are making. You've made the point. There's nothing further to be done about it.Mark Cameron: Will her Government allow competitive shooters to use semi-automatics for sporting purposes?Hon NICOLE McKEE: The coalition Government has yet to decide on this issue but currently over 6600 New Zealanders are licensed to possess semi-automatic firearms and this occurred under Labour's regime. They were never banned under the previous Government. This Government is the adult in the room and we are committed to finding a solution to this issue for the benefit of public safety and practical regulation.