Mr. Speaker, our office has received numerous letters, petitions and phone calls from concerned constituents in New Brunswick about speculation regarding further regulations for rifles and guns. There is a great deal of misinformation being circulated with regard to the government's intention.
The government is considering options that will address the issue in a fair and responsible matter. These include tough jail sentences for gun related crimes, increased border controls to combat smuggling, a universal firearms registration system to track gun ownership, additional restrictions on handguns, a possible ban on military assault weapons and tighter controls on the sale of ammunition.
I understand the government does not want to ban ordinary rifles and shotguns owned by law-abiding citizens. In fact the Minister of Justice stated in the House last week that he had no desire to unnecessarily inconvenience responsible gun owners
such as farmers and hunters who use firearms for lawful purposes.
I urge the Minister of Justice to maintain this rational and sensible approach on measures he will introduce to combat gun related crimes.