Evidence of meeting #46 for Public Safety and National Security in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was licence.
A recording is available from Parliament.
6:50 p.m.
Conservative
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
Of course, you can't obviously speak for every single person, but it's a large constituency.
Given how large the constituency of people's views you represent or are aligned closely with is, and the importance of firearms legislation to your community, it would seem prudent that any government consult with you guys about its proposals. Did the government consult with your organization or, as far as you know, any like-minded organizations when drafting Bill C-21?
6:50 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights
They haven't. We've been asking for a meeting with both the Minister of Public Safety back in the Bill Blair days and also the Prime Minister, and anyone else we can think of. We never got a reply, so no.
6:50 p.m.
Conservative
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
You're being ignored by this government. This democratic government is ignoring the perspective of hundreds of thousands of Canadians who have concerns about legislation that disproportionately affects them, and you guys can't even get a meeting. That's very disturbing to me.
The Liberal government has repeatedly said that their legislation doesn't target law-abiding firearms owners, but I think we've seen with Bill C-71, the handgun freeze, and now Bill C-21, that the primary impact of this legislation is solely on law-abiding handgun owners or law-abiding firearms owners. Why do you think that is?
6:55 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights
My personal opinion is that it's ideological and it's political. That's why you'd have provisions in the bill that play no meaningful role in public safety. I don't want to put too fine a point on it, but that's my opinion.
6:55 p.m.
Conservative
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
It seems to me what's at stake here with this legislation is that there's an entire culture of people in this country—who have been in this country even before we became a country—who are now going to be slowly phased out of existence by this government through this kind of legislation. It seems like they're phasing out law-abiding firearms owners, particularly handgun owners.
Is there any evidence that this legislation will do anything to phase out the real problem, which is violent criminals?
6:55 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights
There's no evidence that I'm aware of. I know that the government has had an opportunity in these hearings to provide evidence. I haven't seen anything at all that's compelling so far, but that's not for me to judge.
6:55 p.m.
Conservative
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
Do you think it's kind of disturbing? It appears like it's an entire group of law-abiding people, a culture. We've seen mounted sports shooters, IPSC and Olympic sports shooters who have come to this committee. Indigenous people earlier today said they weren't consulted. They said that this could potentially threaten their way of life and their treaty rights.
Do you think it's concerning that this government hasn't really consulted with any of these groups and that this legislation seems to disproportionately impact them and have an impact only on them and not on violent criminals?
6:55 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights
We're used to it. This has been going on for seven years. It is very disappointing, and it's very divisive to have firearm-related violence laid at your feet and have your life and choices be viewed as repugnant, as I mentioned in my opening statement.
It's very difficult. It's difficult for literally hundreds of thousands of Canadians to feel like they're a part of anything now. They're being blamed for something they have no part to play in. It's difficult.
6:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ron McKinnon
Thank you, Mr. Lloyd.
We go now to Mr. Noormohamed, please, for six minutes.
6:55 p.m.
Liberal
Taleeb Noormohamed Liberal Vancouver Granville, BC
Thank you very much to the witnesses.
I'd like to start with Mr. Giltaca.
You began by saying that you don't feel as though the government has paid much attention to you and to your views. I'd like to change that now and pay some attention to you. You said that you speak for the vast majority of gun owners in this country. Is that true? Is that correct?
6:55 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights
No, that's not what I said.
6:55 p.m.
Liberal
Taleeb Noormohamed Liberal Vancouver Granville, BC
You don't speak for the vast majority of gun owners. Who do you speak for? I have to say, you just told Mr. Lloyd that you do. Do you speak for hundreds of thousands?
6:55 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights
That's not what I said. We can play it back.
6:55 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights
If I were to guess, I would speak directly for maybe 100,000 or 200,000 people.
6:55 p.m.
Liberal
Taleeb Noormohamed Liberal Vancouver Granville, BC
That's a goodly number of people.
Do you believe that they all share your organization's views?
6:55 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights
In our community, people are very independently minded. I don't think anyone shares all of each others' views, no.
6:55 p.m.
Liberal
Taleeb Noormohamed Liberal Vancouver Granville, BC
I see.
Your vice-president of public relations, Tracey Wilson said on September 21 that she is the gun lobby. Does she speak for your organization?
6:55 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights
I would say so, yes. I would say that's a correct statement. We are the gun lobby.
6:55 p.m.
Liberal
Taleeb Noormohamed Liberal Vancouver Granville, BC
That's a correct statement. Okay.
Would you agree with her statement, and by extension, do you believe that it is the view of all of your members that, “HAHAHAHAHA we’ve survived 7 years of the most corrupt, divisive, hate inciting, failed government in the history of our country”.
6:55 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights
That's a pretty accurate statement, I'd say, yes.
6:55 p.m.
Liberal
Taleeb Noormohamed Liberal Vancouver Granville, BC
You, sir, have come here with a political agenda of your own. Is that correct?
6:55 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights
I'm coming here to defend the property and my dignity as a Canadian citizen, actually.
6:55 p.m.
Liberal
Taleeb Noormohamed Liberal Vancouver Granville, BC
I see. Does defending your property and dignity involve the harassment of other individuals like my colleague Ms. Damoff?