Thank you, Mr. Chair.
BQ‑6 deals with the same subject matter as NDP‑2 and G‑1. I imagine my NDP colleague will be in favour of this amendment, which strengthens the “yellow flag” system.
We were fortunate to have representatives from the National Association of Women and the Law. This association also sent a brief, where a very good point is raised. Here's an excerpt:
The modification to section 5(2)(d) of the Firearms Act is also recommended to insert a safety bias into the granting of licences. A person may not currently pose a threat to their ex-partner (for example, if they are travelling abroad), or it may not be certain whether a person still poses a risk; when in doubt, the Chief Firearms Officer or the judge should err on the side of caution.
That's sort of the spirit of my amendment. We have to make sure we err on the side of caution, rather than the side of judgment.
Therefore, I propose that Bill C‑21 be amended by adding after line 19 on page 16 the following new clause:
15.1 Paragraph 5(2)(d) of the Act is replaced by the following:
(d) is or was previously prohibited by an order — made in the interests of the safety and security of any person — from communicating with an identified person or from being at a specified place or within a specified distance of that place, and poses or could pose a threat or risk to the safety and security of any person;
I invite my colleagues to vote in favour of this amendment, which strengthens the “yellow flag” system designed to protect women victims of violence.
Thank you.