Gun Advocate-Turned-Minister Leads Firearm Law Review, Police Union Raises Concerns

The NZ Police Association has launched an unprecedented salvo at a government minister, questioning her ‘integrity and independence’ over plans for gun reform.

In this handout image provided by New Zealand Police, collected firearms are seen at Riccarton Racecourse in Christchurch, New Zealand, on July 13, 2019. New Zealand Police/Getty Images

The New Zealand Police Association—a union that represents 98 percent of all sworn police officers—has taken the unprecedented step of writing to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon questioning the fitness of Associate Minister of Justice, Nicole McKee, to hold the position.

In June, the minister—an ACT Party MP—announced “a comprehensive programme to reform New Zealand’s outdated and complicated firearms laws.”