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The Speaker led a procession of leaders from different faiths into the House for its first sitting after the March 15 attacks.
Source: Speaker's Office.
On March 15, 2019, 50 people were killed after a gunman opened fire at two Christchurch mosques. Another 50 people were injured, with one person dying of their injuries seven weeks later.
How did Parliament respond?
When Parliament sat for the first time following the attacks, on March 19, then Speaker Trevor Mallard led a procession of leaders from different faiths into the House. Usually, non-members are not allowed to walk on the floor of the debating chamber when Parliament is in session.
Sittings of the House normally begin with the parliamentary prayer. The March 19 session was instead opened with a prayer in Arabic from Imam Nizam ul haq Thanvi, translated into English by Tahir Nawaz. This was followed by the parliamentary prayer in te reo Māori by then Assistant Speaker Adrian Rurawhe, and in English by then Deputy Speaker Hon Anne Tolley.
As a mark of respect, the normal business during that sitting week was changed. Instead of Question Time and debates on legislation, Members made speeches and offered their condolences to those affected by the Christchurch attacks, before adjourning early.
That quiet Friday afternoon has become our darkest of days. But for the families, it was more than that. It was the day that the simple act of prayer, of practising their Muslim faith and religion, led to the loss of their loved ones' lives. Those loved ones were brothers, daughters, fathers, and children. They were New Zealanders. They are us. And because they are us, we, as a nation, mourn them.
Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, then Prime Minister
The unimaginable hurt that our Islamic community is feeling is shared amongst all New Zealanders, because I know that every New Zealander feels this wasn't just something targeted at our Islamic community or just at Christchurch, as real as that is; it has happened to all New Zealanders, and all New Zealanders are grieving with them.
Hon Simon Bridges, then Leader of the Opposition
Reforming New Zealand’s gun laws
Parliament acted swiftly after the mosque attacks to introduce gun laws to improve public safety and tighten gun control in New Zealand.
The first of these was the Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines and Parts) Amendment Bill. It was introduced to Parliament just over a fortnight after the attacks. The bill aimed to remove semi-automatic firearms from circulation and use by New Zealand’s general population, by banning semi-automatic firearms, magazines, and parts that can be used to assemble these.
Usually, bills take months or even years to pass through the several stages to becoming law. However, in this case Parliament agreed to accelerate the process, and the bill became law within 11 days. This fast-tracked process was different to urgency, as the bill still went through all of its stages on different sitting days, and was considered by a select committee.
The bill had near unanimous support across the House, with all but one of Parliament’s 120 MPs voting for it.
In September 2019, the Arms Legislation Bill was introduced. This bill aimed to introduce tighter controls on the use and possession of firearms. It also re-stated the purpose of the Arms Act to make it clear that owning a firearm is a privilege, and that people with that privilege have a responsibility to act in the interests of personal and public safety.
The bill enabled the creation of a registry to store information about licence holders, their weapons, and ammunition. It also strengthened the licensing system by creating a new system of warning flags to show if someone is not a fit and proper person to hold a firearms licence.
The Arms Legislation Bill bill was granted Royal assent in June 2020.
The Royal Commission of Inquiry
I hope each of those acts takes us one step closer to justice and one step closer to change. Till that day, I say as-salamu alaykum—may peace be with you and may peace surround you.
Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, then Prime Minister
Ten days after the shootings, a Royal Commission was established to investigate whether public sector agencies had done all they could to protect the people of New Zealand from terrorist attacks and whether more could be done. The Minister of Internal Affairs presented the report to Parliament on 8 December 2020, titled Kō tō tātou kāinga tēnei, which means “This is our home”. This title represents an inclusive New Zealand, welcoming of people of all ethnicities and backgrounds.
The report itself can be read here.
Following the presentation of the report, then Prime Minister Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern moved the motion "That the House note Ko tō tātou kāinga tēnei: Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch masjidain on 15 March 2019." Members from all parties spoke on the report, and these speeches can be read in Hansard.