Should Heather du Plessis-Allan face criminal charges?

The TV3 reporter bought a gun, online, with a fictitious police ID number.

It revealed how easy it is in this country to get around the system if you want to get your hands on a gun.

The man who sold her the gun says she should face criminal charges, and he'll pursue a private prosecution if needs be.

He should save his breath, and the legal fees.

The fact that police have already stepped in to plug this loophole in the system suggests they see it as a problem, and a very real problem.

Michael woodhouse, the police minister, should have thanked du Plessis-Allan for exposing what is a serious issue.

Instead, he said he wasn't convinced du Plessis-Allan had revealed a loophole. Instead he chose to talk about the reduction in gun crime under this government. He missed the point entirely.

Police 'are' changing the system.

If you wish to buy a gun online, you will have to go to a police station, show a police officer the firearms license, and only then will an online purchase be approved.

At the moment, gun shop staff can check the license number apparently, but they can't check if it matches the name used to buy the gun. That is how du plessis-allan managed to purchase the .22 online.

But is she the criminal here?

Absolutely not. What she has revealed is the possibility of illegally purchased guns on our streets and in our communities.

And that, absolutely, is in the public interest.