A briefing memo to Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says the proposed federal gun ban would ban and confiscate firearms routinely used by hunters.
The December 14, 2022, question period memo, “Comprehensive Ban on Assault-Style Firearms,” states, “The proposed changes could reduce the number of firearms currently used by some hunters. We are aware of that.”
The note also says it is “not intended for hunters or anyone using firearms to sustain themselves or their families.”
“The government has determined that these newly banned firearms and parts are not reasonable for hunting or sport shooting purposes given the inherent dangers to public safety.
While the government “targets firearms with sustained rapid-fire capabilities that can cause significant harm to Canadians,” it said, “More than 19,000 unrestricted semi-automatic rifles and shotguns , keep it available to Canadians.”
“Our government will continue to work to find the right balance for this bill,” the memo said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged last month that some hunting guns would be confiscated under the proposed law, but previously said the Liberal government was “not interested” in making hunting guns illegal. Stated.
“We have some guns that we have to take from people who were hunting with guns,” Trudeau said. CTV news in an interview at the end of the year.
Trudeau said he was “not interested in tracking guns that are normally used for hunting or protecting farms,” adding that the government would “consult” with Canadians on the proposed list of bans.
Bill Stoll
Bill C-21 proposes to ban firearms that can fire semi-automatic center-fire ammunition and firearms that can hold removable magazines.
According to a BlackRock reporter, the date of the memo is the day after Commons’ Public Safety Commission stopped passing the bill, pending a hearing scheduled for the spring.
Manitoba Conservative MP Raquel Dancho criticized the amendment to the bill, which said it would ban lever-action rifles and common firearms for hunting.
“We’re talking about the classic Woodstock hunting rifles in use that are banned by this,” Dancho said. “That’s the problem we face. We don’t always see a way forward.”
According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the opposition New Democrat and Bloc Québecois MP worked with the Conservative Party to delay passage of the bill.
“We are not going to clean up the mess the Liberals have created with this bill,” B.C. New Democrat Rep. Taylor Buckrack previously said in the House.
He said people felt “cheated” by the liberal’s drastic last-minute fix.
“This was a bill intended to limit the use of handguns and protect victims of domestic violence, but now the Liberal Party has decided that my neighbors should not be allowed to hunt, control predators, and backcountry. We’re looking for tools that we use for safety,” Bachrach said.
Opposition members have called on the commission to hold at least eight public hearings on the bill, which will include rural, northern, and indigenous communities. Grants for travel expenses related to these conferences will not be granted until the beginning of the new academic year in April. The passage of the bill has been postponed until the spring.
According to a government briefing note, the measures are part of the government’s plan to “reduce access to firearms that are unreasonable for civilian use” and an attempt to “prevent illegal firearms from entering or leaving our country.” .
Peter Wilson contributed to this report.
Marnie Cathcart is a reporter based in Edmonton.