I'd like to thank the committee members for having invited me. I don't know whether the document that contains my recommendations was distributed, but in any event, I will now present them to the committee.
I have two recommendations to make. The classification of firearms needs to be changed to avoid semantic debates over whether a gun is an assault weapon or a hunting gun.
To accomplish that, I am proposing a new way to classify firearms based on how they are handled, by which I mean how they are held, and on the type of firing mechanism. I assume that I could go into details about this classification a little later.
I propose broadening the definition of a firearm to prevent the proliferation of ghost weapons. At the moment, weapons are identified by a serial number on the gun stock. Unfortunately, that component of the firearm is relatively easy to print or engrave. If the definition of a "firearm" is extended to other components of the weapon, like the breech or the barrel, then it would be possible to limit the spread of ghost weapons, particularly those from the Polymer 80 company, which are widely sold in the United States.
That's what I'd like to present this morning. I also have pictures for those who might be interested. Essentially, my intent here is to present the committee with a new way of classifying firearms. That gets me back to my first point. This classification is based on two criteria.
The first is handling. If a firearm is held with one hand, or with two hands on the stock in the same location, we are talking about a handgun. If a weapon he is held with two hands, one holding the stock and the other generally placed on the forward portion of the weapon to stabilize it, it's a long gun. That's the first way to classify them.
The second criterion is the firing mechanism.
Some weapons have a manual reloading mechanism. With long guns, this could be either lever action or pump action. For revolvers, it's a cylinder activated by the user.
Other weapons have an automatic reloading system. In weapons like these, the firing cycle occurs automatically for as long as you hold the trigger down, or semi-automatically, every time you pull the trigger.
If firearms were classified in this manner, the act would firstly be more consistent, and secondly, would avoid semantic debates of the kind we've heard in recent weeks, and which have undermined Bill C‑21.
Thank you.