"Christchurch shootings: New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern bans assault, semi-automatic rifles
The move comes less than a week after a white supremacist rampaged through two mosques, shooting at people as they prayed, sparking global revulsion and national outrage.
"On 15 March our history changed forever," said Ardern.
“Cabinet agreed to overhaul the law when it met on Monday, 72 hours after the horrific terrorism act in Christchurch.
"Now, six days after this attack, we are announcing a ban on all military style semi-automatics (MSSA) and assault rifles in New Zealand," she added.
Australia banned semi-automatic weapons and launched a gun buyback after the Port Arthur massacre in 1996 in which 35 people were gunned down.
The AR-15 was used at Port Arthur and has been used in a number of high-profile US mass shootings.
A buyback scheme will be established for the banned weapons, which will cost between NZ$100 million and NZ$200 million (between US$69 million and US$139 million), depending on the number of weapons received."
A very decisive move by the NZ gov n ots PM on this issue! Quite commendable!!
Interesting to note the country's legal age to own a gun is 16 yrs "young" n semi-assault weapon is 18 yrs "young"!!
Very encouraging to see the farmers who are the main group that owns guns in NZ for their farms agreed, with some still unconvinced, that the ban is for a good reasonable reason!!
Perhaps that's the difference between the USA n ANYONE outside the USA - the "right" to bear arms is a thoughtful process for the common good instead of "my inviolable right"!!
Blessed NZ n Ms Ardern.
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