Chris Hipkins says the Bondi attack is very close to home and a lot of Kiwis will be feeling it. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
Labour leader Chris Hipkins says New Zealand should not dilute gun reforms put in place after the Christchurch terror attack in 2019.
In the wake of Sunday's attacks on Jewish commemorations in Bondi Beach, Australia's National Cabinet has agreed to bolster rules around gun ownership.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says "strong, decisive and focused action" is needed in wake of the mass shooting which has left 15 dead, as well as one of the two gunmen, and scores injured.
Chris Hipkins told RNZ's Morning Report that his thoughts go out to all those affected and grieving in Australia, as well as the Jewish community in Australia, here and around the world.
Bondi Beach is well-known to New Zealanders - in fact Hipkins said he had spent one Christmas there.
"A lot of Kiwis will be feeling this; it is very, very close to home. My thoughts are with everybody. And of course, we think of our Jewish community around the world and here in New Zealand.
"Anti-Semitism should never be tolerated and we should condemn it in the strongest possible terms."
He told Morning Report that gun reform was vital and he was pleased the government he was part of it had grappled with it after the 2019 terror attack in New Zealand.
"Gun reform is vital, and I'm so pleased that we did it. I think it is really important that we continue to not let go of that.
"The current government tried to water down that gun reform earlier this year, and actually there was a strong opposition to that from New Zealanders, because Kiwis can see that we are safer, because we've taken those military-style semi-automatic weapons off our streets.
"That's made New Zealand safer as a country, and we shouldn't be willing to go back on that."
Asked about the risk of tensions in society after mass shootings, Hipkins said it was important to focus on finding common ground.
"After March 15, when that happened in Christchurch, there was a real risk that we were going to see an escalation in tension.
"And we worked very, very hard as a government to de-escalate tension, to help people find common ground."
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