Locals gather to lay flowers near Masjid Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch after a terror attack by a gunman killed 49 people.Credit:Jason South
Not one of those measures was made law,says Alpers,in part due to effective lobbying by special interest groups.
"As the law stands in New Zealand,any person aged 16 or over with an entry-level firearm licence can keep any number of common rifles and shotguns without an official record of those guns being kept anywhere,"he said.
"New Zealand's decision not to register 96 per cent of civilian firearms makes it a stand-out exception,alone with the United States and Canada."
At least 49 people were killed and more than 40 injured inshootings at two mosques on Friday,which have since been confirmed as an act of terror.
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Ms Ardern said she was advised the gunman obtained a Category A gun licence in November 2017 and"under that,he was able to acquire the guns that he held".
The 28-year-oldAustralian-born citizen,who was not a resident of Christchurch,used two semi-automatic weapons,two shotguns and a lever-action firearm,she said.
"When people,of course,hear that this individual had acquired a gun licence and acquired weapons of that range,then obviously I think people will be seeking change,and I'm committing to that,"Ms Ardern said.