Evidence of meeting #115 for Public Safety and National Security in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was number.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Rod Giltaca  Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights
Tracey Wilson  Vice-President, Public Relations, Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights
Steve Torino  President, Canadian Shooting Sports Association
Tony Bernardo  Executive Director, Canadian Shooting Sports Association
Wendy Cukier  President, Coalition for Gun Control

12:45 p.m.

President, Coalition for Gun Control

Wendy Cukier

Generally, it's hunting.

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

Blaine Calkins Conservative Red Deer—Lacombe, AB

You'd be surprised to know that it's actually a military calibre as well.

What about a 338? Is that a hunting calibre or sniping calibre?

12:45 p.m.

President, Coalition for Gun Control

Wendy Cukier

As I said, I don't believe that the calibre is an issue.

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

Blaine Calkins Conservative Red Deer—Lacombe, AB

You don't know, or you don't—

12:45 p.m.

President, Coalition for Gun Control

Wendy Cukier

I don't believe that the calibre is the issue. That's not used as classification criteria for firearms.

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

Blaine Calkins Conservative Red Deer—Lacombe, AB

Fair enough.

I want to get back to some stats.

12:45 p.m.

President, Coalition for Gun Control

Wendy Cukier

The Rueger Mini-14, which is sold as an unrestricted weapon, uses military ammunition.

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

Blaine Calkins Conservative Red Deer—Lacombe, AB

So does my varmint gun. It's a 223.

12:45 p.m.

President, Coalition for Gun Control

Wendy Cukier

But what I'm saying is that is not used as part of the classification system. I think the point with the sniper rifle is that it shoots 2.3 kilometres, and it was designed for military and tactical purposes.

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

Blaine Calkins Conservative Red Deer—Lacombe, AB

30.06 will shoot a mile.

Ms. Cukier, when it comes to the statistics that you quoted about domestically sourced firearms, and domestically sourced firearms being used more and more when it comes to gangs and so on, are you aware that any firearm where the markings or the serial number has been removed or destroyed from the firearm automatically defaults to being classified as a domestically sourced firearm?

12:45 p.m.

President, Coalition for Gun Control

Wendy Cukier

I don't believe that's true based on the processes used in Toronto. They specify the firearms that they are able to trace, and they classify them as untraceable if they don't have a serial number. I think if you look at the data, we're talking about guns that have been traced, not those which can't be traced. They break it down into quite—

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

Blaine Calkins Conservative Red Deer—Lacombe, AB

In your statistics, then, you're using just the ones that can be traced.

12:45 p.m.

President, Coalition for Gun Control

Wendy Cukier

Just the ones that can be traced. That's all I'm talking about.

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

Blaine Calkins Conservative Red Deer—Lacombe, AB

Not the ones that can't be traced. Okay, thank you. I appreciate that.

In your testimony, you talked about someone who might be in a rural or remote location and—notwithstanding wherever a person might live—they feel threatened by their spouse during a domestic issue or an incident whereby firearms are in the house. You talk about that safety factor. Right now, if somebody were to pick up the phone and call the RCMP for a domestic complaint, if a firearm was used, that would automatically put a flag from that point forward in the continuous eligibility criteria on that individual's ability to possess a firearm.

Would you agree with that statement?

12:45 p.m.

President, Coalition for Gun Control

Wendy Cukier

Yes, after they have the licence.

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

Blaine Calkins Conservative Red Deer—Lacombe, AB

After they have the licence, agreed.

What is changing now, with the legislation of Bill C-71, that will make that different?

12:45 p.m.

President, Coalition for Gun Control

Wendy Cukier

The focus is on when they get the licence and extending both the time period—

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

Blaine Calkins Conservative Red Deer—Lacombe, AB

No, that's—

12:45 p.m.

President, Coalition for Gun Control

Wendy Cukier

Sir, can I answer your question?

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

Blaine Calkins Conservative Red Deer—Lacombe, AB

I don't think you're answering my question. I want to be clear about what my question was.

My question is about somebody who currently has a licence—not somebody who is going to go get a licence—who has a firearm in their possession and is involved in a domestic incident.

How does that legislation change or differ now from what's being proposed in Bill C-71?

12:45 p.m.

President, Coalition for Gun Control

Wendy Cukier

There's nothing in this legislation that addresses that specifically. What is in this legislation that I think we're supposed to talk about—rather than what's not in it, because there are lots of things we'd love to add—is that by improving the screening processes, you reduce the chances that someone with a history of violence gets access to firearms.

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

Blaine Calkins Conservative Red Deer—Lacombe, AB

I think we all want that. I think we're unanimous in that at this table. When I offered Minister Goodale the opportunity to pass all the aspects of this bill that dealt with the background checks and the initial eligibility for a firearms licence, and to remove all the other stuff that frustrates law-abiding firearms owners—because they feel that they're being adversely penalized for the crimes of a few—that was denied by Mr. Goodale, which I find—

12:45 p.m.

President, Coalition for Gun Control

Wendy Cukier

It's interesting because when you look at rural communities, what is the relevance of the ATF changes? When you look at existing gun owners, what is the impact of introducing the controls on sales?

Can you explain it to me?

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

Blaine Calkins Conservative Red Deer—Lacombe, AB

Well actually, you're here to answer my questions.

12:45 p.m.

President, Coalition for Gun Control

Wendy Cukier

Yes. It was rhetorical.