Public Safety Committee on Oct. 4th, 2022

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Well, in the first instance, we've put in place a national handgun freeze and a ban on importing additional handguns into the country, which is a measure you oppose. We've also—

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

I'm talking about buybacks, though, Minister.

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Perhaps I could be permitted to finish, Mr. Lloyd.

You also oppose our national ban on assault-style rifles, and you would propose to make them legal again, which we think—

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

You're not answering the question, Minister.

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

—is fundamentally wrong.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

You're dancing around the question. Why don't you have a program to buy back illegal firearms from criminals on the street? Why aren't you putting a program like that in place?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Well, we've taken a very concrete and tangible step forward to addressing handgun violence through the introduction of a national handgun freeze. We're also going to get assault-style rifles out of our communities in collaboration with our partners.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Minister, wouldn't you agree that it would be more beneficial for public safety to buy back an illegal firearm off the street rather than buy back a firearm from a sport shooter in Barrie, Ontario?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

The first thing I would say, Mr. Lloyd, and I've said this before, is that I respect law-abiding gun owners. I—

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Then why do you have a program that targets only them? Why don't you have a program to get illegal guns off the street by buying them back from criminals?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Well, you and I disagree about that, but I do respect—

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

You don't think a buyback program for criminals would be effective?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

We've taken the judgment that when it comes to assault-style rifles, they have no place in our communities. With Bill C-21, we've also taken the largest step forward in probably a generation by putting in place a national handgun freeze so that we can reverse the trend and the growth of a universe of that type of gun by about 45,000 to 55,000 new registrations every year—

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Thank you, Minister.

Minister, my next question is this. You're seeking to cap magazine size to no more than five rounds. Is that correct, yes or no?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Yes.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Will this apply to all long guns or only semi-automatics?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

What we have proposed is certainly with regard to—

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Will it apply to all long guns?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

No.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Okay.

Do you understand that the Lee-Enfield rifle is a commonly used hunting rifle? It has 10 rounds in the magazine. You're aware of that?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

I have heard that.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Is the Lee-Enfield rifle, because it has 10 rounds in its magazine, on the list of things that will be regulated?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Let me take a step back and tell you why it is we've put these standards into the bill. We think that by doing so, we will reduce gun violence.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

See, the important thing, Minister, is that these firearms are predominantly used by indigenous people to fulfill their traditional treaty hunting rights. If you are limiting their ability to use a Lee-Enfield because of Bill C-21, you're limiting indigenous rights. This violates section 35 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

How is this not colonialism, Minister?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

We're consulting with indigenous communities. We have consulted and will continue to consult on Bill C-21.