Today was the official announcement of the appointment of the three top seats to the Canadian Firearms Advisory Committee (CFAC). The Liberals have left the committee vacant for over a year since dismantling the previous committee, appointed by the Conservatives.

The Liberals own platform promises to modify the membership of the Canadian Firearms Advisory Committee to include knowledgeable law enforcement officers, public health advocates, representatives from women’s groups, and members of the legal community. One would hope a fair and balanced committee would be developed in order to provide an impartial representation of the issues surrounding Canadians and public safety. It would make sense to have every member have a broad and in-depth understanding of the Firearms Act, the Criminal Code of Canada and it’s subordinate regulations concerning firearms, as well as a deep knowledge of the mechanics and functionality of modern day firearms. An “advisory committee”, is after all, to “advise” on the very issues facing our community and it would be beneficial to have “experts” in this field.

Chair of CFAC: retired justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, the Honourable John C. (Jack) Major. bio

Vice chair of CFAC: Lynda Kiejko of Calgary is a Canadian Olympian and medaled sport shooter. bio

Vice chair of CFAC: Nathalie Provost of Montreal is a survivor of the Polytechnique shootings and spokesperson for PolySeSouvient. bio

Some concern has been raised as committee members are mandated by the Ministry of Public Safety's own regulations are forbidden to actively lobby for an organization, which Provost stands as the spokesperson for an anti-gun lobby group.

“Any member participating in this committee in his or her own personal capacity or as an authorized representative of a specific organization or corporation agrees for the duration of his or her term as a member of this committee not to:

• Participate in any contractual process, competitive or otherwise, involving Public Safety Canada;
• Apply for or accept receipt of any monies obtained through a Grant or Contribution Agreement involving Public Safety Canada; and
• Engage in lobbying activities or work as a registered lobbyist on behalf of any entity making submissions or representations to the Government of Canada on issues relating to the mandate of this committee.”