Public Safety Committee on May 11th, 2023

[Rachel Mainville-Dale]

Right.

You were asking who is going to be reviewing an annual letter. The requirements with regard to the national handgun freeze that is proposed in the bill have to do with that moment of acquiring a handgun, people who are.... There is a class of individuals who are exempt. It has to do with the moment of transfer.

On a question of continual eligibility through a letter, unless there's a transfer happening...it's not that people, once they have the handgun, get to keep it.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Okay. This is when they're getting into the sport shooting. I was confused. I thought we were talking about every single registered firearm owner across the country having to provide an annual letter, which would just be a huge paperwork exercise for everyone involved for very little. However, when we're talking about Olympians, we're talking about half a dozen or a dozen people who would require these letters.

[Rachel Mainville-Dale]

The class of individuals described in the measure are people who are “training, competing or coaching”...“in a discipline that is” at the discipline of the sanction, I believe. The language is “on the programme of the International Olympic Committee or the International Paralympic Committee”. It does include people who are coaching and training in those disciplines, so it's more than just participating at the Olympics or at the Paralympics.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Mr. Lloyd.

Madam Michaud.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thanks to Mr. Julian for the addition he proposes, and I will support it.

To respond to Mr. Lloyd's comment, I don't believe it is so ridiculous to apply this kind of rule to all sports shooters. Quebec already applies it and the Quebeckers affected are already used to it. Even though there is more bureaucracy or paperwork, it seems to work very well, and it should be possible to apply the rule fairly smoothly in the other provinces.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you.

Next we have Mr. Kurek.

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

Thank you, Ms. Michaud, for that comment.

Is there any evidence from the exercise in Quebec that it has reduced crime, which it is purported to do? Certainly, as we look at many of the proposals, they're lacking the evidence to suggest that it will actually accomplish what it's purported to.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

I don't know if that was a question for the officials. You have 12 seconds left anyway.

Is there anyone who wants to answer that?

[Rachel Mainville-Dale]

Unfortunately, I can't comment on any of the results of provincial legislation.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you.

Ms. Damoff.

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

On the subamendment, I believe Mr. Julian is adding, “meets the prescribed criteria”...“respecting the minimum participation requirements”.

Could someone define for me what “participation requirements” are?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Do the officials have an answer for this?

[Rachel Mainville-Dale]

Just looking at that, it sounds to me like it would be something that would be defined in the regulations—the normal regulatory process in terms of engagement with appropriate stakeholders, and defining and proposing regulations—and then it would come back for finalization.

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

Then we don't really know what the criteria would be.

I have concerns, without knowing what the prescribed criteria are, with supporting this. I know Mr. Julian and I disagree on how much we should open up the handgun freeze, which is fine. This is a good thing when we have disagreements. We can't agree on everything. However, I do have concerns that this could open it up beyond just the Olympic stream, which is what we are proposing in the bill.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you.

Mr. Julian, please.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Chair, there's a later amendment that would give the regulatory powers to the government. We're not talking about a huge open door but rather the possibility of some flexibility as this committee has heard from sport shooters.

I should say that we provided, in other areas like airsoft, some regulatory ability for the government. Therefore, I would suggest that is entirely appropriate and within the government's purview.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Mr. Julian.

Is there any further discussion on the subamendment?

Madam Michaud.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Could Mr. Julian clarify the intent behind the addition he is proposing? I am also afraid it would open the door too wide. That would help me understand the effect his subamendment would have.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Mr. Julian, if you wish.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Specifying regulatory criteria will give the government the power to put certain regulations in place for the requirements relating to minimum participation.

The bill's framework will continue to apply, but this subamendment will give the government more flexibility.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Ms. Damoff.

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

The government already has regulatory powers on this, so we don't need this amendment in order to be able to create regulations around handguns and the Olympic stream. It's already the intent that there will be regulations around that, so we don't need to add this to it.

I do like Madam Michaud's idea of providing a letter annually to ensure that you are part of that stream, but we won't be supporting it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Ms. Damoff.

Is there any further discussion? Seeing none, we'll take a recorded vote.

(Subamendment negatived: nays 6; yeas 5 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

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

That brings us to CPC-23, in the name of Ms. Dancho.

I believe Mr. Lloyd might wish to move this.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Yes, I'm happy to move it, Mr. Chair.

Would you like me to speak to it?