UPDATED 5.59pm The Minister of Police wants to see a focused approach on any inquiry into the availability of firearms.

The Labour Party earlier called for an inquiry, following this week's police shooting in Kawerau, and the discovery of a cache of firearms at a south Auckland property yesterday.

Despite gun crime being a minor part of overall criminal offending, Labour MP Stuart Nash said an inquiry is needed, "because what we don't want to do is for this to go from being a small problem to a really big problem, and then be reactive in how we address it."

LISTEN ABOVE: Firearms law specialist Nicholas Taylor speaks to Larry Williams

Judith Collins now says she would support there being a Parliamentary Select Committee Inquiry into the issue, as opposed to a ministerial inquiry.

"It would mean we'd have cross-party support for it, which I think the public would think was a useful spend of taxpayer money and also of MPs time," she said.

Collins said Police have told her they would really welcome an inquiry that would actually focus on how guns are getting into the hands of gangs.

Ms Collins said if there are any loopholes in the law, if there are any people involved in this area, then that's what we want to find out.

"What I don't want to see is a tremendous amount of time spent talking about guns generally, and whether or not we should have guns in society and all that sort of stuff.

"Actually I want something that's going to be meaningful, useful and can save lives."

Law and Order Select Committee chair, National MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, said his committee will definitely got through the process and consider such a proposal.

He said it will be discussed when the committee next meets, and is optimistic it will agree to hold an inquiry.

Green MP David Clendon finds the news odd, given his request for a select committee briefing on the issue four months ago still hasn't been responded to.

He said after the Minister's comments today, he might finally get a response.

Earlier, Collins rejected the Green Party's call for a universal gun register, following the shootings in Kawerau.

Green co-leader Metiria Turei said: "As long as we have a prevalence of guns in the community, we will also have an ongoing call for the police to arm themselves, and nobody wants to see the police being armed in this country either. That put's everybody at risk even more."

Judith Collins said it's a ridiculous solution.

"The Greens are completely barmy when it comes to this. People who are criminals are not going to go around registering their guns."