Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure for me to rise in the House to represent Canada's most beautiful region, Beauce. Today, I have the honour of presenting petition e‑7232, signed by 10,354 hunters and sport shooters.
Over the past few months, I have had the opportunity to meet with the constituents, federations of hunters and anglers, gun clubs and responsible firearm owners across Quebec who signed this petition. Their message is clear: The gun buyback program is a huge expenditure that does not address the root cause of violence in Canada. The petitioners firmly believe that mental health and support for people in distress are the real pillars of preventing violence and strengthening safety in our communities.
Legal gun owners are already subject to strict rules. Rather than wasting public funds on confiscating legally acquired assets, the government needs to invest where the needs are most urgent in our communities. As long as the protection of our communities is ignored, the problem will continue. That is why the 10,354 petitioners are calling on the government to put an end to the firearm buyback program and redirect the funds immediately to actual services, such as support for community organizations, mental health care and resources for people experiencing homelessness.