Public Safety Committee on May 8th, 2018

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

Without a warrant.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Regina—Wascana, SK]

No, the police require judicial authorization to access this private property like they do with other kinds of private property.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

But you don't have any statistical or empirical evidence from your department that suggests that any measures in Bill C-71 will actually reduce or stem the flow of illegal firearms from the United States.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Regina—Wascana, SK]

I have the professional opinion of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

You're welcome to your opinion, but not that of the police officers or anybody else who you've managed to quote.

What evidence does your department have to suggest that Bill C-71 will reduce gun crime associated with gangs?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Regina—Wascana, SK]

The provisions that make it possible to trace crime guns is one element. The provision with respect to transportation is another element. The overall context is the guns and—

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

Are you suggesting to me—

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Regina—Wascana, SK]

—gangs initiative, which we will fund with the provinces.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

Give me some numbers, Mr. Goodale. How many people on their way to the gunsmith are committing crimes?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Regina—Wascana, SK]

The—

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

You don't know the answer to the question. That's fine. It's okay to say you don't know.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Regina—Wascana, SK]

The objective of that provision is to make sure that police have the ability to detect unusual movements of restricted and prohibited weapons, not ordinary non-restricted firearms like hunting rifles. It's only for restricted and prohibited weapons.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

I'm fully versed, actually.

What provisions in this bill will crack down on those who steal lawfully owned firearms?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Regina—Wascana, SK]

In terms of the background checks, the provisions in the act make it less likely for people who should not have firearms to acquire them.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

That's not my question, Mr. Goodale. My question to you was, what provisions in the bill are going to crack down on those people who steal lawfully owned firearms. You said in your remarks that the firearms are domestically sourced through theft. I'm asking you what provisions you're going to include to deal with the thieves who are stealing guns from law-abiding citizens.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Regina—Wascana, SK]

The provisions in the act will make it easier for the police to track those weapons, and, in fact, find the sources of the crime.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

Again, it's in order to track that they're going to have to have a registry to track or trace it against.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Regina—Wascana, SK]

No, it's by the commercial inventories that are maintained by private businesses, and you need to have the appropriate reasonable grounds and judicial authorization to access those inventories.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

If you were to withdraw all the sections of the legislation that dealt with everything other than the increase of the background check to obtain unanimous support of the bill, would you do so?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Regina—Wascana, SK]

The package that we have before us is one that is reasonable, fair, and balanced. It's a package that hangs together, and I think it's fair and reasonable.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

Okay.

Mr. Chair, I move that the regular members of the committee, before clause-by-clause study of Bill C-71, travel to a shooting range for a hands-on instructional day that would include meeting with the range officer for a question and answer session on firearms, firearms safety, and firearms legislation.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

The motion is received.

You still have a minute left.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

You told me I had a minute before, but....

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

I know, but....

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

All right.

Continuing with the continuous eligibility requirements, Mr. Goodale, are you aware of what that means?