The Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
The Christchurch mosque gunman's sister says she wouldn't have got in the way of Brenton Tarrant obtaining a firearms licence.
An inquest for the 51 worshippers murdered at Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre in March 2019 is examining how the terrorist obtained his firearms licence, gun controls at the time of the shootings and looking at counterfactuals which might have led to lives being saved.
The terrorist began the process of getting a gun licence within weeks of moving to New Zealand in August 2017.
He had initially chosen his sister Lauren Tarrant to be his next-of-kin referee for the process, but police rejected her as she did not live in New Zealand and could not be interviewed in person.
As a result, the terrorist instead used the gaming friend he intended to be his second referee as his closest referee, and that friend's parent as the second referee.
In a written brief for the inquest, the terrorist's sister answered questions on what she might have said if police had allowed her to act as a referee in the firearms licence process and interviewed her.
It was a difficult exercise in light of what her brother had since done, she said.
But she probably would have told police her brother was suitable to have access to firearms, because he had no history of criminal behaviour or violence.
"In relation to questions about holding concerns for the safety of others, engagement in forums that encourage or promote violence and whether I knew of any reason that police should refuse his application, I would have answered 'no'," she said.
"I would have confirmed that I had never felt intimidated, threatened or frightened by the applicant's attitude or behaviour and that he handles stress in a reserved manner."
However, in earlier evidence the inquest heard she told police following the shootings she was aware of her brother's admiration for Adolf Hitler, saying he idolised the genocidal dictator.
He also admired British fascist Oswald Mosley and Nigel Farage, a key figure in the Brexit referendum and a politician with staunch anti-immigration stances.
She told police her brother had changed since travelling, he "always spoke of a race war", and he had discussed with her how the AR-15 was the firearm of choice for mass shootings in the US.
Depending on how police asked about such matters, it was possible she might have brought them up.
"I don't know how I would have phrased it as I wouldn't have actually wanted to get in the way of his application," she said.
She did have concerns about idea of firearms in general.
"I think I may have questioned whether he needed multiple guns, as in, I might've asked how many guns he would be allowed to have, what sort of guns, that sort of thing," she said.
"Because it just didn't sit right with me in principle and as far as I knew the regulations in New Zealand were different to Australia. Ultimately though, I don't think I would have said it was a bad idea. That's why I was relieved they never rang me."
The inquest continues today.
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