Despite every credible expert at committee testifying to the contrary, the gun ban, mandatory buyback, and even more regulation against legal gun owners is on the horizon as the Liberal/NDP/Bloq majority committee release their report.
One can't help but think this whole study, the time and testimony of the experts and the resources spent studying this important issue was all wasted, as it was tossed aside in favor of catering to the wish list of the anti gun lobby groups.
There are many measures within the report we do support, and have lobbied for, to reduce crime and violence, combat smuggling and intervene with at risk youth, but we are beyond disappointed to see such a hard focus on legal gun owners, in spite of every law enforcement expert saying it was unnecessary.
One might even think the outcome of this study was already written, long before the study began.
This author took the liberty of putting the 34 recommendations in short form for ease of reading:
Legend: ✔ Supported Recommendation ✘ Opposed Recommendation ✎ Should be Amended
Centre of Excellence for firearms research ✔
Stats Can funding ✔
Require police to submit guns for tracing ✔
Uniform tracing standards ✔
Mandate tracing training for RCMP ✔
Increased funding for all LE agencies for intel sharing, tracing data ✔
Focus on youth diversion programs ✔
Increased funding for community, youth diversion and victims groups ✔
Recognize indigenous organizations in youth gang diversion programs ✔
Host National Gun & Gang Summit ✔
Recognize serious violent crime should = serious penalties ✔
Recognize the drug trade is tied to the illicit gun trade, resources for trauma, legalize ✔
Decriminalize illicit drug possession ✔
Increase police funding, diversity ✔
Increase funding to Akwesasne Mohawk police service to intercept illegal guns ✔
Adopt the 3 recommendations from the Akwesasne Mohawk Organized Crime Initiative ✔
Adopt legislative framework to recognize First Nations police as an essential service ✔
Recognize smuggling is a significant factor in crime guns, allocate resources to combat ✔
Enhance border, rail and ocean freight shipping security ✔
Increase staff and funding to CBSA ✔
Adopt legal framework to distinguish between regulatory and criminal charges, focus resources ✔
Adopt a standardized definition of “prohibited” firearms ✔
Invest in research to determine domestic sources for guns, ✔ possibly limit # can be owned ✘
Implement a mandatory buyback for gun ban ✘
Study UK and Australian models for gun confiscation programs ✘
Review import, sale, manufacture, and distribution of magazines capable of being modified ✘
Amend legislation to require PAL to purchase mags ✘
Regulate the sale of parts like barrels, trigger assemblies, slides etc ✘
Investigate and develop strategy to combat illegal manufacturing, ghost guns ✔
Amend the Firearms Act to define a firearm to include “blank castings of frames or receivers not yet capable of holding various firing components” ✘
Demand RCMP require CFO’s to verify all PAL data ✔
Amend regulations to require a seller to provide buyer data to the registrar for purchases ✘
Amend the law to ensure people under a protection order related to DV have their PAL revoked and guns seized ✎
Table legislation immediately to adopt all above measures ✘
The Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights aims to be a strong and reputable, public-facing voice for Canadian firearms owners. We are committed to maintaining our current rights and freedoms while continuing to push as a mobilizing and organizational force for positive legislative change.