I support the safe and sustainable practice of hunting in Canada. As residents of northern Ontario, hunting is a tradition that forms part of our heritage. As Chair of the Northern Ontario Caucus, I can assure you we have been advocating for the rights of hunters and other law-abiding gun owners.
Concerning the government’s action on banning military-style assault firearms, there has been a great deal of confusion and misinformation regarding the amendment that was presented at the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security on November 22nd, 2022.
As we have repeatedly witnessed, Canada is not immune to gun violence. All Canadians deserve to feel safe in their communities, which is why we’re advancing safe, common-sense policies. We have seen too many of these tragedies here in Canada not to act. Whether they are at school, at their place of work, or their place of worship, Canadians deserve to feel safe.
Bill C-21 should not have an adverse affect on law abiding hunters and farmers, and it is important we make sure of that.
This past week, members of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, requested urgent meetings to allow firearms expert to testify before the committee on these amendments (i.e. the proposed list of prohibited firearms) to ensure that hunters are not inadvertently caught in Bill C-21.
If your firearm is on the proposed list of prohibited firearms and you use it for hunting, please provide me with the model number and I will bring this information to my colleagues on the Committee and to the Minister of Public Safety.
The intent of the government’s policies has always been to target assault-style weapons, not those commonly used for hunting. We will take the time to ensure that no guns commonly used for hunting are captured within the proposed amendment.
I support our law-abiding firearm owners and respect individuals’ rights to participate in legal activities such as hunting.
We are listening to Canadians, and we will get this right.
