News from New Zealand.

Stripping farmers of their semi-automatic weapons and forcing them to use contractors for pest control is “completely illogical”, Federated Farmers says.

However, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says proposed legislation has tried to anticipate the “legitimate needs” of farmers.

On Monday, the Finance and Expenditure Committee released its report on a new law to ban semi-automatic and military-style weapons.

It recommended the bill be passed but suggested several changes, including allowing semi-automatic firearms to be used for pest control on farms.

Farmers would not be allowed to do the work themselves and would have to use specialised businesses approved by police.

“We consider that there would be some narrow circumstances where use of a prohibited firearm was absolutely necessary to carry out pest control on private land or non-conservation Crown land for conservation, environmental, or economic reasons,” the report said.

“Our recommendation would allow a private landowner to engage a wild-animal or animal-pest control business to use such firearms while still removing most semi-automatic firearms from circulation.”

Federated Farmers rural security spokesman Miles Anderson said the Government had failed to deliver on its commitment to landowners that they would continue to have access to the weapons required for effective pest control.

“There are five million hectares of privately owned high and hill country in New Zealand. What these landowners have been left with is the equivalent of painting the Auckland Harbour Bridge with a toothbrush.”

He said Federated Farmers had backed the Government on the issue of gun law reform from day one, based on the need to both protect public safety and ensure continuing access to the appropriate firearms for those with a genuine need.

“The whole select committee has shown both a lack of trust and a complete lack of understanding of the needs of the rural sector on this issue,” he said.

“Labour has the opportunity to fix the bill over the next few days, otherwise Federated Farmers will feel duped by this process.”

However, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said all elements of the gun debate had been considered and she hoped it had created an outcome there would be support for.

The proposed changes were in stark contrast to the Australian legislation and tried to anticipate the legitimate needs that existed within the farming community, she said.

When asked if the requirement for farmers to employ contractors for pest control sent a signal she did not trust them, Ardern replied,  “Absolutely not.”

“We created carve outs, particularly around the use of 10-round .22s five round shotguns but beyond that have put in place measures, where there is large scale pest eradication, for framers (sic) to be able to access those who can legitimately use those weapons, too.”

But Anderson said requiring farmers to use contractors for pest control was ineffective and inefficient and rural landowners with a genuine need to use the weapons should be eligible to apply for an exemption.

“For generations farmers have been doing that job and now they’re going to have some of the tools that allow them to do it effectively taken away.

“We’re not talking about AK-47s and we’re talking about hundreds of farmers, not thousands,” he said.

“There are farmers who are dealing with rabbits and they shoot tens of thousands every year. In those situations, a 50-round magazine wouldn’t be excessive.

“If you’ve got a mob of 30 goats, a 50-round magazine is probably the right tool for the job.”

You see, in a land where peaceable men give up their guns, the government gets to decide what is and isn’t allowed, and when “special people” get to do things that others do not.

And the government gets to decide “carveouts,” where they throw a bone to the slighted, call it even, and tell you there’s no room for debate.

And here’s a news flash for Mr. Anderson.  Naïve gun owners, who think they can just appeal to the sensible side of government for “special needs,” as long as it is someone else who gets the shaft, are always, always duped by the process.

I’ve told the Fudds among us before, and you’d better listen to me again.  “When you let the government go after other people because you aren’t affected, not only is that selfish and cowardly, it’s bad strategy.”

When you use bad strategy, you will always lose.  So your precious break-action or pump shotguns for fowl hunting, and your bolt action guns with a detachable magazine for deer hunting, yea those.  The FedGov will want those too.  They want all of the guns.  All of them.  No exceptions.

This picture of New Zealand – the American gun controllers and the FedGov is watching closely.  It’s a trial run, boys.