Madam Speaker, the Liberal firearms bill, Bill C-21, will ban outright all airsoft guns, most BB guns and some paintball models in Canada, which are toys. This is not just a plan to destroy a pastime enjoyed by over 64,000 players in Canada; the Liberal law risks an entire industry worth $100 million to the Canadian economy, and $10 million of that is in Quebec alone.
Half the businesses in Canada tailored to these harmless hobbies expect to close for good. That includes businesses in Lakeland, such as Xcalibre Paintball in Boyle, Alberta. Many business owners say Bill C-21 is the bitter end of airsoft and paintball in Canada, and that includes most BB guns, which most of us probably remember target shooting pop cans with as kids.
Because of the Liberals, 1,500 Canadians will likely lose their jobs, and for what? The Liberal plan is to take legal firearms off the ranges and ban toys, while leaving illegal guns in the hands of gangs and criminals and reducing penalties for serious and violent crimes. It just makes no sense.