Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I'm pleased to be here with the committee today to discuss this important question, particularly as I am a Quebecker and an MP from Montreal. We've had tragedies in the past, and even within the past few months. There's a lot of violence in some Montreal neighbourhoods. There are shootings, some near schools; parents are extremely worried. We must never forget that we're talking about the health and safety of our communities and our fellow citizens.
I mostly agree with Mr. Langlois when he says that the amendments came out of left field, at the last minute. From a procedural point of view, it was not very skilful and caused a lot of doubt and confusion, particularly among first nations and legitimate hunters. Unfortunately, they felt somewhat targeted by it all. Given how extremely serious this matter is, it wasn't handled very well.
Mr. Langlois, I'd like to get back to your two proposals. The first was to change the classification of firearms as a function of how they are handled and fired. I'd like to know how the new classification you are proposing would yield results that are different from the existing ones.