Police figures show more than more than 600 people with criminal convictions in Australia have been granted a standard, visitor or dealer firearms license in the past decade. Thirty-seven have gone to commit an offence involving a firearm, including two homicides. Police can request information from Australian and other overseas officials as part of licence application vetting but it is not routine. The president of the Police Association, Chris Cahill, told RNZ political reporter Charlie Dreaver gaps in the vetting process need to be plugged.
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