Mr. Speaker, last year the Minister of Foreign Affairs asked officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, or DFATD, to consult with all provinces and territories on the Arms Trade Treaty, after already having consulted with non-governmental organizations, including such diverse groups as Oxfam Canada, Oxfam Quebec, Project Ploughshares, Amnesty International, and the Canadian Shooting Sports Association. Consultations between DFATD officials and provincial and territorial governments took place by telephone and/or email between December 9, 2013, and the end of January 2014.
As members of the House already know, Canada has some of the strongest export controls in the world, including through the Export and Import Permits Act and the Automatic Firearms Country Control List. In addition, Canada rigorously assesses all exports of military goods and technology on a case-by-case basis. In fact, Canada’s controls exceed those of the proposed ATT.
It is important that any treaty should neither affect lawful and responsible firearms owners nor discourage the transfer of firearms for recreational uses such as sport shooting and hunting. The government will ensure that any treaty it signs on to will be good for Canada and good for Canadians.