Kate Hawkesby: Taking aim at gangs' hypocrisy on firearms ban

COMMENT: I just don't understand how the gangs can go from doing haka outside mosques (enjoying some high profile publicity) to a few weeks later refusing to hand over their guns.

Standing in solidarity with Muslims outside the mosques after the shootings, offering condolences and doing media interviews about their support - but then reverting to type and basically giving the law the middle finger.

Legislation to change firearms laws is on its way and the Government has given gun owners until September to hand them over.

But the Mongrel Mob has said no thanks. Not for them.

The president of the Waikato chapter of the Mongrel Mob said mass shootings do not get committed by gang members. That was his argument. He also pointed to their safety. They need their guns to be safe, apparently.

I've got an idea that's safe - don't be in a gang.

Black Power went one step further on the 'keep our guns' argument, and claimed it's a hunting necessity - to hunt for food for their families.

But how many of us are able to source food without a semi-automatic? Probably most.

And that's before we get to the legality of where these guns came from and how many there are.

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Police Minister Stuart Nash had their serious faces on yesterday as they issued stern warnings to gangs to hand over guns - "or there'll be consequences", they said.

Those consequences involve the police following them up.
Sending the police in to follow up on the gangs' guns. The very same police force they stood next to in Christchurch, in solidarity with victims of... guns.

So I just don't get - or subscribe - to the gangs' arguments to keep their guns.

The Government says it's not up for discussion or debate, and that it's not a voluntary exercise, it's compulsory.

"We intend to enforce the law and it's not a matter of co-operation," Winston Peters said.

Stuart Nash hasn't ruled out giving police extra powers to search and seize guns from gang members - he was acutely unimpressed at their blatant refusal to obey the law.

But should we be surprised? Probably not.