CCFR sits down with MP Bob Zimmer, C-346

April 11, 2017

CCFR sits down with MP Bob Zimmer, C-346

~Ottawa, April 11, 2017

The CCFR is committed to understanding the impact of new legislation on Canadian gun owners and supporting our Members of Parliament who address issues that affect our community. In keeping with this, Tracey Wilson sat down today with Bob Zimmer, MP for Prince George-Peace River at his Ottawa office to get a better understanding of what his proposed Private Member's Bill, C-346, an Act to amend the Firearms Act, really means for us.

Here's the Bill: Bill C-346 An Act to Amend the Firearms Act (licences)[63360]

There are a lot of references to the Firearms Act and the Criminal Code and the language can be confusing for some people. Tracey dug down in to the meat of the issue and here is what Bob explained to the CCFR in plain English:

Your license (PAL) would need to be updated for information every 10 years. Licenses that have not been updated during that time would go in to a state of "suspension". Bob hated using that word and explained we should think of suspension as "update status". Technically it would not "expire", but would be in a suspended state
During this suspension, or "update" state, you would still be permitted to possess firearms and ammunition, but would not be permitted to acquire new items. Simple possession, including use would be protected and you would not be an automatic criminal nor be subject to confiscation of any type. It only affects the acquisition of new firearms and ammunition.
Your license does NOT expire. Subsections 64(1) and (1.1) of the Act would be replaced with:

"64(1) A license that is issued to an individual who is eighteen years old or older does not expire"

It is vital to understand this and the positive impact that this bill will have on law abiding gun owners.

Bob has a lot of support for this bill and will be doing an update video most likely today. Tracey offered the support of the CCFR as a resource to help with messaging and to work together on making this bill a success.

They exchanged tokens of appreciation. Tracey gave Bob a CCFR calendar for his office, a remainder of the fundraiser for women's shooting programming within the CCFR and Bob gave Tracey a commemorative Zimmer House of Commons coin.