Gun owners are furious after a breach of the gun buyback scheme database exposed the private information of tens of thousands of people.
German software giant SAP has apologised to New Zealand after the error revealed the names, addresses and firearms details of gun-owners.
Nicole McKee from the Council of Licenced Firearms Owners says this is a reflection of the way the gun legislation was handled.
"There was no need to have any errors in it this early in the piece," she told The AM Show on Tuesday. "The error that has been made is substantial and has put 38,000 families at risk."
McKee said the entire scheme has been a mess, labelling it unfair.
But Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told The AM Show the breach hasn't resulted in widespread exposure, playing down claims that 19 people accessed the database.
"These claims that multiple people have access to the database I'm told is incorrect," she said. "I'm also told that we can absolutely refute any suggestion that this information was publicly available."
Ardern said she was advised by SAP that just one person was able to fully access the database, who was known to the police.
Business as usual
There are plans to relaunch the gun buyback database despite the data breach leaking private information. Deputy Police Commissioner Mike Clement said it's about moving forward.
"What we're trying to do is to get to the bottom of it quickly so that we can get the system back up online, and be processing the firearms of those who need to bring them in," he told The AM Show.
Police Minister Stuart Nash said he's still confident in the gun buyback scheme and doesn't see the need to start from scratch, despite calls for his resignation.
"I think it's going incredibly well so far," he said at Monday's post-Cabinet press conference alongside Ardern.
