Mr. Speaker, Robert Kierstead, the head coach of the Canadian Olympic pistol team has told my office that contrary to what the justice minister told this House, the .22 calibre handgun with a barrel length under 105 millimetres and the .32 calibre handgun are used in world cup competition. According to Mr. Kierstead, the banning of these handguns will end competitive shooting programs in Canada.
Mr. Kierstead said in a letter to the justice minister and I quote: "Either this is an oversight due to your unfamiliarity with firearms or it is a devious betrayal of Canada's legitimate high performance olympic shooting competitors".
The minister's justification for banning handguns with barrel lengths under 105 millimetres because they lack accuracy is refuted by the medals won by Canadian competitors as well as by the fact that Canadian police officers use these short barrelled handguns in the line of duty.
This clearly illustrates that adequate consultations did not take place and indicates a preconceived agenda on the part of the justice minister.