Transcript for New Zealand parliament member reacts to shootings

Want to bring this in a member of the New Zealand defense ministry. Gerry Brownlee. This is such an unprecedented attack for your country. Yes, it is. It's something that we never expected to have happen here. We're a relatively small population and while we are ethnically quite diverse we live very peaceable lives and this as many have seen has shattered our innocence in a way. That mosque is just a short distance, about four kilometers from where I live and it's still just a shock, you know, with that number of people and such a small population here in the city, almost everyone will know someone or have a connection with the families of someone who has been either killed or seriously wounded today. And, Mr. Brownlee, do authorities feel like the situation is under control right I think most people would be very impressed with the way our police have acted, very quickly, in being able to apprehend a suspect who looks pretty much like he is the guy and he will appear in the court tomorrow morning. Then we'll know a lot more after that. To continue, it's nighttime here at the moment and continuing with their efforts to secure the city and to see if there are any others beyond the four that they've arrested who might be part of this organization. Was this kind of anti-muslim white supremacist violence on anyone's radar in New Zealand? I don't think so. You know, we don't -- we haven't experienced sort of anti-muslim sort of activities here. You know, we are part of the network along with the united States, great Britain, Australia and Canada and part of the coalition against ISIS but didn't expect we would have this sort of terrorism in New Zealand which appears to be not necessarily related to the ISIS attacks but white supremacists which does not fit for this country and its makeup. Going forward any sense now of what must be done? Well, I think the important thing is that we firstly support the families who have had such horrific losses and will be deeply, deeply affected for so very long to come. Beyond that I think we've got to be very careful while we are vigilant that, you know, people in our community who don't see life the way we do, we don't, you know, lose a lot of the freedoms we have. New Zealand is a place where people have felt very secure and very free and this certainly has shaken that belief up today and we've got to make sure we don't end up with a Pirman loss of the freedom that we so value. Secure, free and tolerant, New Zealand known as such a happy place. Well, that's how we like to be seen. I think that is pretty much how we are, but, you know, this is a huge wake-up and just very, very distressing for the overwhelming majority of the New Zealand population, you know, it's only a few on the fringes that cause this sort of problem but they've done some damage here. They certainly have. We're soiree for your loss. Mr. Brownlee, thank you for joining us.

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