https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/australianz/new-zealand-faces-crossroads-over-gun-control-after-christchurch-massacre

CHRISTCHURCH (NYTIMES) - When the prime minister announced plans to ban semi-automatic rifles following Friday's mass shootings, it seemed to be the bold response that many New Zealanders wanted - until the country's attorney general backpedaled almost immediately and said that might not be the government's final decision.

Even after a massacre that left 50 people dead, the fight over guns and safety will be a fraught one for politicians in peaceful New Zealand, just as it is in the United States.

But there is a crucial difference between the two countries that is already apparent: While Washington struggles to take action even as such shootings become more routine, New Zealand's government is immediately diving into a detailed discussion of further legislative checks on guns.

The outright prohibition of semi-automatic weapons proposed by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern may no longer be on the near-term table. But a Cabinet meeting called for Monday will look at a range of options, from gun buybacks to restrictions on magazines for semi-automatic rifles.