Handgun freeze targets the wrong people, advocate says

It was a landmark legislation proposal by the federal government.

If Bill C-21 is passed, it would freeze the purchasing, selling and transferring of handguns across Canada.

Since the announcement by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday, there has been strong reaction from both those who support and oppose the proposal.

The Canadian Coalition of Firearm Rights said this step is going too far, and the group’s executive director said it targets the wrong people.

“This affects only, exclusively, licenced firearm owners. That’s it,” Rod Giltaca told John Gormley.

If this bill is passed, Giltaca added, it is going to have big consequences.

“The impact will be the destruction of sport shooting in Canada as it applies to handguns,” he said.

Bill C-21 contains exemptions for those training for certain competitions. In order to qualify, an individual would have to meet certain criteria and submit a letter from a chief firearms officer from a provincial or national sport shooting governing body.

The letter must indicate they are training in a shooting discipline on the program of the International Olympic Committee or International Paralympic Committee, as well as the disciplines in which they participate and that the handgun in question is necessary for training, competing, or coaching.

Giltaca told Gormley the newly-proposed law punishes Canadians who follow the proper steps for owning a firearm.

“They’ve definitely beat up on people who would be so audacious as to get a firearm licence in Canada,” he added.

The Coalition for Gun Control, on the other hand, supported the bill.

“This proposed law represents a significant step forward, putting in place important measures to reduce gun violence and reinforcing Canadians values because there is no ‘right to own’ guns in this country,” President Wendy Cukier said in a statement.

“The proposed national ban on the sale and importation of handguns will stem the flow of these guns,” Cukier said. “Legal handguns are a significant source of handguns used in crime and are the guns most often used in mass shootings.”

If C-21 passes, the rules will come into effect this fall. There was no timeline added in Monday’s announcement for how long the freeze would last.

Moe calls proposal ‘virtue signalling’

The proposed gun laws don’t impress Premier Scott Moe.

He argues the handgun ban targets the wrong people.

“It’s extremely problematic, because it absolutely appears to be going after those that own firearms but do so legally and are following all of the rules and regulations that are in place,” Moe said Tuesday.

Moe described the new legislation as “nothing more than virtue signalling by the federal government.”

There was one thing Moe saw in the proposed legislation that he said the Saskatchewan government could get behind.

It involved the federal government increasing the penalties for those who commit property crimes during which they steal a weapon or a gun or use a weapon while committing those crimes.

“The rest of this is nothing short of virtue signalling here in the province and really a distraction, from what I see,” Moe said.

Moe said his government would look for its own solutions if the federal government makes changes that would affect the safety of Saskatchewan residents.

“If (perpetrators) are actually using a weapon or firearm or stealing a weapon or a firearm … we need to ensure that they are held to account,” Moe said. “I’ve asked our Minister of Justice to actively look at what room does the province have.”