Six months after a gunman killed 51 people at two Christchurch mosques, New Zealand's government is planning further restrictions to gun ownership.
A bill introduced to Parliament on Friday would create a register to track all the guns in the country and require gun owners to renew their gun licenses every five years instead of every 10. It would also place new responsibilities on doctors to notify police if they believe a gun owner shouldn't have a license due to concerns over the owner's mental health.The proposed measures come after New Zealand in April rushed through legislation to ban assault weapons such as AR-15 style rifles.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told reporters in Christchurch the focus remained on preventing another attack like the one on March 15. She said the attack exposed weaknesses in gun laws, which the government was fixing. Ardern has previously made the point that New Zealand has a different view on guns than the U.S., where gun ownership is seen as a constitutional right and is interpreted by many to be a defense against potential government overreach.Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian white supremacist, has pleaded not guilty to terrorism, murder and attempted murder charges following the March attacks. He remains in jail ahead of his trial.
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