In 1996, the founders of COLFO recognised there was a need for a dedicated firearms advocacy group in New Zealand. Although we’ve had some significant victories over our almost 30 years of operation, with Minister Nicole McKee now leading the Arms Act rewrite, we cannot become complacent. Politics is fickle, and there’s a very real chance that next election, we’ll see a Labour + Greens coalition with Ginny Anderson leading the anti-firearms brigade. With Chris Cahill now free of his Police Union role, we cannot discount him as a potential political candidate in the next election either.

COLFO Now Offers Legal Protection for Members

The most common query we hear at COLFO is from people who’ve had their firearms licences suspended or revoked for non-criminal reasons. These have included malicious complaints from former romantic partners, medical issues such as cancer, and a range of other issues which often leave us thinking: “How is this possible?”

As a result, we’ve now launched our new Sentinel Tier Membership, which offers legal support to licensed firearm owners who find themselves facing an unjust revocation. For just $99 per year ($8.25 per month), you’ll receive up to $2500 worth of legal protection with our lawyers who are experts in defending licensed firearm owners against suspensions and unjust revocations.

When the Police serve a suspension notice, you only have 28 days to challenge this or you may be unable to own firearms legally for at least five years. As a result, time is of the essence, which is why we’ve made the process of getting legal support easy. There’s an online form to fill out on our website with the key questions for your issue; COLFO will then allocate you a lawyer, who’ll be in touch within five working days, and we’ll take care of the bill. It’s that easy.

Why It Matters: A Member’s Story

In 2020, a COLFO member lost his bladder to an unexplained medical failure. He spent four years pressing New Zealand’s health system for answers. None came. This year, he filed a formal complaint with the Health and Disability Commissioner. Staff refused to assist. During one call, the member vented his frustration and said, “Should I just go sit in a corner and die?” Given the loss of such a vital organ and lack of assistance, this is a totally reasonable response. The advocate reported this as a self-harm threat. Police arrived that same day and seized his firearms licence on the spot.

The member explained the truth to officers. He described the daily struggle of self-catheterisation and the ongoing trauma of unknown causes. He denied any suicidal intent. Police noted his words. Yet the revocation letter arrived days later with a twist. It claimed the member admitted to years of suicidal ideation and a five-year mental health decline. This bore no resemblance to his statements. The result? His licence was revoked on fabricated grounds, which means he won’t be eligible to own a firearm for at least five years, even if he were to obtain a medical statement stating he is fine.

Stories like this show how quickly authorities can strip your firearms licence. A single misinterpreted phone call triggered an instant seizure. No prior warning. No chance to respond. You face the same risk every day.

Firearms Advocacy Is Changing

Since leaving the NZDA, I’ve been contracted by COLFO to professionalise and build a formal and well-funded firearms rights organisation. The reason for this is simple: as the anti-gun groups, Firearms Safety Authority, Police Union and others continue to grow, the volunteer structure of COLFO and other groups means we’re simply outgunned. Though we currently have Minister Nicole McKee, that won’t last forever, so we should prepare for the storms, such as restrictions on how many firearms licensed firearm owners are allowed to own, calibre restrictions, and other threats to our sport that have yet to show themselves.

To encourage membership, we’ve been building a range of new services and benefits for our members, like the new whistleblower function to help us raise issues you’re seeing, without fear of negative consequences on your licence.

We’re also working on several other benefits strictly for financial members, as well as discounts with a number of NZ brands that want to support the fight for the rights of all licensed firearm owners.

In short, it’s been a busy time laying the foundations for an exciting new chapter of COLFO. We hope that if you’re a financial member, you’ll start enjoying your membership personally, and if you’ve not yet joined the fight, once you see the direct benefits for you and your family, then you’ll sign up to protect your firearm licence for just $8.25 per month – and encourage others to do so too.

We have big plans, but they’re only possible with you.