Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and thank you to the witnesses for being here today.
The possession only licence, POL, which allows no new firearm acquisition privileges, is currently issued to persons who do not intend to acquire any new firearms and who lawfully possessed a firearm when the Firearms Act came into force. These individuals are not required to pass a safety training course and testing requirements. The apparent rationale underlying the creation of the possession only licences was that individuals who had been in lawful possession of firearms for a significant period of time, and who were not seeking to acquire additional firearms, had demonstrated a history of safe and responsible firearm ownership with the only firearm they would continue to be allowed to possess under the non-acquisition licence.
Could you explain to us why possession only firearm licences are being eliminated and will the individuals who currently hold possession only licences automatically qualify for firearm licences under the new regime?