Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to continue the discussion with Ms. Geddes regarding Bill C‑21.
It's wonderful to hear that the measures we passed are some of the best in the world, but the fact remains: they have to be in force. Unfortunately, those measures still aren't in force nearly a year after Bill C‑21's passage.
The government also promised to bring in an assault-style firearms compensation program this fall. The program still isn't in place, and this Friday marks the 35th anniversary of the tragedy at École polytechnique, a sad anniversary indeed.
For some 30 years, the group of women representing survivors and family members affected by the tragedy has been calling on the government to ban military-style assault weapons for good. An order in council banning some 1,500 models was passed a few years ago, but other models are still being sold.
As you are very aware, under Bill C‑21, the definition of a prohibited firearm is evergreen. That means it applies only to firearms designed after the bill's passage. As a result, hundreds of models are still being sold.
PolyRemembers and a number of other groups are worried about the fact that someone who owns a prohibited model can sell it back to the government and take the money to buy a similar model that is still being sold. According to PolyRemembers, introducing a buyback program is well and good, but there is absolutely no point to the program if it allows people to buy models that are still being sold.
I think your government is serious about its pledge to bring in a buyback program. However, before such a program is introduced, is the government going to make sure that all military-style assault weapons are banned, so as not to waste taxpayer money? Owners can use the money they get from the buyback program, so it's important to make sure that the measures are actually effective in controlling guns.
We recommended creating a committee to examine the models still being sold to determine which ones could reasonably be used for hunting and which ones couldn't.
It seems to be too late to establish any such committee. I think the RCMP has the expertise to determine which firearms are used for hunting and which ones aren't. The committee met with witnesses, and apparently indigenous communities use the SKS for hunting.
Has there been any progress on the issue? When the government introduces its buyback program, will it ban all military-style assault weapons?