Public Safety Committee on May 11th, 2023

[Corey Tochor, Conservative, Saskatoon—University, SK]

In a hypothetical situation where an individual has a firearm and it expires but they are already down the path of criminal life, how would this actually stop them from carrying on with their firearm?

[Rachel Mainville-Dale]

If the firearm was one that was already legally registered—if it was, for example, a restricted firearm—and the Parliament or a regulation under an act of Parliament changed the classification to prohibit it and they were....

I'm sorry. I don't understand.

[Corey Tochor, Conservative, Saskatoon—University, SK]

It expires, but what do they do?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Mr. Tochor, I think we have to draw a line there.

[Phaedra Glushek]

We can add to our colleague's comments, if you like.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Could you do it quickly?

[Phaedra Glushek]

If a person is in possession of a firearm and it is prohibited, then the possession and the use of that firearm would be prohibited, unless there was an amnesty or another way that the government would allow the individual to keep it.

[Corey Tochor, Conservative, Saskatoon—University, SK]

It doesn't keep them safer.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Mr. Tochor.

Is there any further discussion on this clause?

Seeing none, I will ask for the vote.

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

I'd like a recorded vote.

(Clause 31 agreed to: yeas 7; nays 4 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

(On clause 32)

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

We go now to clause 32.

Is there any discussion on clause 32?

Go ahead, Mr. Shipley.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

It's so nice to be back in here again tonight, isn't it? I missed you guys.

On clause 32, just to recap this, this allows the commissioner of firearms to renew an authorization to carry a prohibited firearm and outline exemptions to handguns grandfathered in December 1998.

My first question, because some people may not know this, is this: What is a commissioner of firearms?

[Sandro Giammaria]

The commissioner of firearms is a statutory office that's created under the Firearms Act. That term is defined in the act. I'd refer the committee to section 2 of the Firearms Act, where there's a definition of what the commissioner is.

[Corey Tochor, Conservative, Saskatoon—University, SK]

Is there one in each province, or is there a national one?

[Sandro Giammaria]

There's one commissioner of firearms, and there are potentially many chief firearms officers of jurisdiction.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Mr. Shipley has the floor.

Go ahead.

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

Thank you.

I applaud the keenness of my colleagues tonight. I just had another question, because in Ontario—and I think you caught that at the very end—I'm familiar with the chief firearms officer. In this clause we're talking about the firearms commissioner or the commissioner of firearms.

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

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Go ahead, Madame Michaud, on a point of order, please.

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

One of our Conservative colleagues asked the officials exactly the same question a few minutes ago. Asking redundant questions slows the committee's proceedings down. I want the Conservatives to switch out every 15 minutes or so, but we are here and we would like things to move forward.

I am therefore asking my colleagues to keep this in mind.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

I quite understand. I think that is a fair point of order.

The Standing Orders certainly do discourage repetitive sorts of things.

We have Mr. Julian on a point of order, and then Mr. Perkins on the same point of order.

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

Just following on Madame Michaud's comments, the reality is that there has been a tremendous amount of repetition from the Conservatives, who are asking the same questions over and over. Now it's true that people change, but it's up to Conservatives to brief their incoming people to make sure that the work of this committee isn't sabotaged.

We had to start late because Conservatives insisted on having four identical votes in the House that took an hour of House time to delay this committee. I just find it disquieting that, on an issue that is so important, there seem to be so many delaying tactics.

As you'll recall, Mr. Chair, I asked numerous times for us to meet more often as a committee. The Conservatives always refused that permission. They really need to be working hard on behalf of their constituents. That means not being repetitive, coming well briefed and having read the legislation as well. We've had indications that there are Conservatives who haven't even read the bill when they come forward to this committee.

I hope that will stop and that they will work co-operatively with everybody so we have the best possible legislation moving forward.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Mr. Julian.

I would point out that, the longer this kind of stuff takes, the longer we're here in the morning.

Mr. Perkins, go ahead on the same point of order.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd say to Mr. Julian, the deputy Liberal House leader, that it is not anti-parliamentary to hold votes in the House of Commons.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Mr. Perkins, we're not allowed to disparage people, and calling Mr. Julian the deputy Liberal House leader is—