A prompt response – New Zealand's national gun reform

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On April 10, New Zealand passed a law banning semi-automatic weapons with a decisive vote of 119 to one. After Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern promised to take action after 50 died during the Christchurch mosque mass shooting, reform became a reality in less than a month.

Mayor of Christchurch Lianne Dalziel stressed the law's role in preventing similar tragedies in the future, in an interview with CGTN.

"The more of them (semi-automatic weapons) are in the country, higher the risk that they will fall into the wrong hands,” said Dalziel.

Similar legislation was being discussed 27 years ago, but ultimately wasn't passed.

Others argue that the ban will have little effect on preventing future tragedies. A lucrative black market is one of the consequences of Australian gun control: gun availability still remains an issue regardless of the laws, said Samara McPhedran, director of Griffith University's Homocide Research Unit.

A man and woman hug each other after leaving flowers next to a cordon blocking a road that leads to Linwood Mosque, one of the two mass shooting sites in Christchurch, New Zealand, March 17, 2019. /VCG Photo

The speed at which gun legislation was passed in New Zealand, inevitably drew comparisons to the U.S.

Political analyst and former Obama White House adviser Bassima Alghussein said one of the biggest obstacles is the constitutional issue. Gun advocates argue that is a right enshrined in the Bill of Rights.

In her opinion, although the causes of mass shooting remains vague, the wide application of guns in shootings is clear, and it should be regulated in the same way freedom of speech has.

The Heat with Anand Naidoo is a 30-minute political talk show on CGTN. It airs weekdays at 7:00 a.m. BJT and 6:00 p.m. Eastern in the U.S.

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com)