Public Safety Committee on May 10th, 2023

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[Glen Motz, Conservative, Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB]

It could be one of those. I don't know.

I apologize. I just don't completely get it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

The Leafs are winning. That's interesting.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[Doug Shipley, Conservative, Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, ON]

I don't know why Pam was so surprised by that.

[A voice]

Us neither.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Ms. Damoff, go ahead.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

I have a question for the officials.

The original clause in the bill says, “protection order has the meaning assigned by the regulations”. Would we allow more flexibility while still including the list that the NDP have put forward if it said “protection order has the meaning assigned by the regulations, but”—I'm doing this on the fly a little bit here, I'm sorry—“includes and is not limited to”, and then this list.

Would that allow you the flexibility you need, to do it in regulations while setting this minimum standard that we're hoping to get without prescribing that it's just the courts?

[Rachel Mainville-Dale]

Again, I think that's up to yourselves here to share your intent and for Parliament to share its intent.

The intent of doing it through regulations is to do consultations, to do engagement and follow the normal regulatory process where the government would publish in Canada Gazette, part I. In fact, in the Firearms Act, regulations are tabled in Parliament and they are referred to committee. The committee at that time would have regard for whatever definition of protection order would be proposed and be able to provide comments to the government.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Are protection orders issued other than by the court? So we're limiting it to only court-ordered protection orders—

[Glen Motz, Conservative, Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB]

That's exactly [Inaudible—Editor]—

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

I don't need commentary, Glen.

If we were to say, then, to be defined by the regulations but to include but not be limited, and include that list, we'd be saying that we want that list included, but you can expand on it by regulation.

Does that make sense?

[Rachel Mainville-Dale]

It could definitely be something that could be considered.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Okay.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Are there any further interventions?

Let's call a vote on the subamendment.

(Subamendment agreed to on division [See Minutes of Proceedings])

We will now go back to NDP-1 as amended by Ms. Damoff.

Is there any further discussion on this? Some of the parties still have time left, if they wish to speak to this.

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

Do the Conservatives have any time left on this?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

No. Mr. Motz did a great job.

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

He did. I'd like to comment on that, and I appreciate that, Mr. Julian, you're a good man.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Let us conduct the vote on NDP-1 as amended by Ms. Damoff. I expect we're going to have a recorded division.

(Amendment as amended agreed to: yeas 11; nays 0 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

Thank you.

Shall Clause 15 as amended carry?

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

On division, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

That would be acceptable.

(Clause 15 as amended agreed to on division)

This brings us to new clause 15.1.

We have BQ-3, I believe.

Ms. Michaud, you have the floor.

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'm very pleased to present a first amendment tonight. It's a relatively important amendment, the first of six, so there will be consequential amendments to go with it.

The goal of the amendment is to require a license to acquire and possess a magazine, like that required for munitions. The reason is simple. Many groups reached out to us on the issue. I sadly remind you of the Danforth shooting. The shooter stole a firearm and went to buy a magazine completely legally. That's what let him kill so many people.

The amendment is relatively simple. We want a license requirement to buy a magazine. Mr. Ken Price requested it when he testified before the committee in October of last year, as did representatives of PolyRemembers. I won't repeat what they said, but they basically told that story. I think it makes sense to ask for a magazine acquisition license.

As I was saying, this is the first amendment in a series of six. Consequential amendments will follow. They fill a gap and prevent people from acquiring a magazine completely legally and using it with a stolen firearm, for example.

I hope my colleagues understand the importance of this amendment and the following ones, and that they will be able to vote in favour of them.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Ms. Michaud.

We will now go to Ms. Damoff.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Thank you to my colleague for bringing this amendment forward, because it is a very important amendment.

Who knows whether the Danforth shooter would have been able to carry out what he did if he had required a licence to buy the magazine. It is something that the Danforth families, represented by Ken Price, have asked for. Quite frankly, I'm surprised you didn't need a licence before to purchase a magazine.

This is something that's really important. I just heard Noor speak about Reese Fallon, who was her best friend. Reese Fallon was killed on the Danforth. Noor talked about the difference that we can make, and how people might say they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, but the fact is we as legislators can actually make a difference. We can actually save lives.

I want to thank you for bringing this forward. It's very important, and we will absolutely be supporting it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Ms. Damoff.

We go to Mr. Shipley and then Mr. Blois.

Mr. Shipley, go ahead, please.