Conservatives tackle gun legislation at public meeting

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This article was published 11/09/2018 (2721 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Conservative MPs gathered in Brandon on Monday night to denounce the federal government’s proposed firearms legislation and call for tougher measurers to be taken against those who use guns for the purposes of crime.

Brandon-Souris MP Larry Maguire hosted the town hall at the Valleyview Community Centre, where he stood alongside Alberta MP Blaine Calkins, who represents the riding of Red Deer-Lacombe.

Calkins called the bill a “backdoor” registry, a reference to the federal long-gun registry which was disbanded under former prime minister Stephen Harper, and stressed the need for government to target criminals, not law abiding gun owners.

Among the measures included in Bill C-71 are expanded background checks that cover a person’s entire personal history — as opposed to five years — and require gun retailers to keep sales and inventory records for at least 20 years.

“We are the safest most-vetted community in this country,” said Calkins, who himself owns firearms.

Approximately 130 people attended the tightly-packed town hall, with questions ranging from clarification around the application of Bill C-71, such as the effect on different firearm variants, to comments about defending one’s property in rural areas and the portrayal of gun owners in the media as “rednecks.”

Calkins addressed the question of a handgun ban, saying he believes the Liberals will seek one.

In his mandate letter from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction Minister Bill Blair was asked to lead a study on the ban of handguns and assault weapons, “while not impeding the lawful use of firearms by Canadians.”

Calkins pointed to the “emotional” push behind gun control efforts, despite statistics which show that firearm-related homicides in Canada have been on a downward trend for several decades.

Instead, Calkins said he would push for mandatory bans on those committed of firearm-related offences and going after those who bootleg guns to gangs.

He also pointed to the addition of specific sections in the bill regarding CZ rifles and SAN Swiss Arms, which he said should be governed under regulations and would require an act of parliament to reverse.

“There’s no facts, no statistics … but that’s where we’re at unfortunately,” he said.

Data released by Statistics Canada in June show that firearm-related crime has increased since 2013, but the numbers in 2016 are slightly lower than those reported by police in 2009.

More than half — 60 per cent — of firearm-related violence crimes involved handguns in 2016, followed by rifles or shotguns — 18 per cent — and other types of firearms — four per cent, including fully automatic firearms or sawed-off rifles or shotguns.

The remaining 18 per cent involved firearm-like weapons, such as pellet guns or flare guns.

Rates of firearm-related violent crime were also found to be similar between urban and rural areas.

Bill C-71 would also require gun owners get a permit to transport restricted and prohibited firearms, except when taking them to a shooting range or home from a store.

A valid licence would also be needed when transferring a firearm between two people.

Bill C-71 has yet to receive third reading.

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