Hon POTO WILLIAMS (Minister of Police): I am concerned about the use of firearms in our communities and that is why we are reforming our firearms law. Policing is an inherently dangerous job and front-line staff put themselves in harm's way every day to protect the public. The use of lethal force by our police is an absolute last resort, and no police officer ever wants to pull the trigger. I am committed to ensuring Police has the tools available to safely defuse situations without the use of lethal force. It's worth noting that New Zealand has a much higher rate of gun ownership than the UK, and that the UK has already undertaken comprehensive firearms reforms to make their community safer, which we are currently in the process of doing. The statistics are really clear that our Māori and Pacific communities are disproportionately represented, and that is why police are working with Kim Workman on addressing the bias that exists in the police operating environment. 