The US Ambassador to New Zealand, Scott Brown, says he "doesn't think it is inappropriate" for US congress to take up a review of a federal ban on assault weapons, but he would not disclose whether he supported such a ban.
In the wake of the worst gun massacre in US history in Las Vegas overnight, Mr Brown said he had backed a ban on assault weapons in Massachusetts while a Senator in that state.
Scott Brown says he received donations from the gun lobby group, but was also on their blacklist. (Source: Other)
But Mr Brown dismissed the idea he was a leader who now should give an opinion on any such US federal assault weapon ban.
"I think that's up to the leaders. I'm not a US Senator, and I'm not a congressman and I'm not the President," Mr Brown said.
"I feel because it is a Second Amendment constitutional right for it to go through the appropriate process, where everybody takes part in that process and let the public decide."
Asked what about every US citizen's right not to be shot, Mr Brown said "that is absolutely a constitutional right as well, there's also a right to live and protect yourself, and you have to balance those rights."
Questioned on the failure of the legal processes to change the US Constitution to prevent mass-shootings, for the almost 12,000 people killed by gun violence in 2017, Mr Brown was non-committal.
"Obviously it's deeply disturbing, there's a lot of issues in the United States that we have to deal with, as there are a lot of issues in this country and every other country that we have to deal with," Mr Brown said.
"That's why we have elected leaders who are put there to make those decisions."
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