New Zealand politicians have voted overwhelmingly in favour of new gun restrictions during the first stage of a Bill they hope to rush into law by the end of next week. The Bill would ban the types of weapons a gunman used to kill 50 people at two mosques last month. “We are also driven by the memory of 50 men, women and children who were taken from their loved ones on the 15th of March,” Mr Nash said. “We are compelled to act quickly.”Seemingly drawing a distinction with the US, where gun possession is constitutionally protected, Mr Nash said that, in New Zealand, gun ownership remains a privilege and not a right. It would also ban semi-automatic shotguns that could be fitted with detachable magazines and pump-action shotguns that can hold more than five rounds.

Source: The Irish Times April 02, 2019 08:26 UTC