Public Safety committee  Thanks for the question. No, none of us receives any salary or in-kind support for the work we do.

Public Safety committee  Part of being a complete physician is advocating for the communities we serve. I'm a trauma surgeon. Many of the patients I primarily treat in my trauma practice are injured by gun violence. The overwhelming scientific evidence shows that a multipronged approach is required, including legislative action.

Public Safety committee  Thank you. I'll start and perhaps I'll ask Dr. Dare to jump in. I will be brief. I think it's exceptionally important, as we consider amendments G-4 and G-46, that a clear definition is put forth, one that does not allow copycat models to come forth in the future. I think it's very important that we address the proliferation of handguns and that we continue to use the science to inform public policy in this matter.

Public Safety committee  Ms. Damoff, if I could add one comment, I've read that paper and Dr. Dare's done an excellent analysis of it as well, but I would urge anyone to read that paper and particularly the discussion in which the author himself documents and acknowledges the many, many limitations of that study.

Public Safety committee  Thank you for the question. Yes, you correctly point out that when we first started this work, I was personally targeted by members of the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights. Seventy of their members, people I had never met or treated as a physician, made complaints to the regulatory body in Ontario, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, alleging that my work in this area, my advocacy in this area, was somehow unprofessional and that my licence to practice medicine should be revoked.

Public Safety committee  We would be pleased to table the evidence—

Public Safety committee  Thanks for the question. Our organization supports well-written and properly implemented red flag laws, as they have been shown to decrease the number and severity of public mass shootings, as well as having an effect of decreasing suicides. Our organization does support the proposed red and yellow flag laws.

Public Safety committee  Thank you. That's a great question, Ms. Damoff. I'll hand it over to Dr. Dare, who is prepared to answer.

Public Safety committee  That's a misrepresentation. Thank you.

Public Safety committee  I can't verify the number of times. It's true that we've been in communication, email communication or phone communication, with multiple ministers on this file. That is correct. I am a constituent of Minister Freeland, and I've met with her on various matters while she's been in government.

Public Safety committee  May I answer?

Public Safety committee  Yes, I'd like to correct the record.

Public Safety committee  Our organization has met with members of different and various parties and continues to seek an audience with the Conservative government and would be happy to do so at any time. Our position statement is very clearly articulated on our website. We support an evidence-informed policy to reduce harm, death and injury from guns, including legislation to ban the most lethal types of weapons, which is what we are—

Public Safety committee  May I finish?

Public Safety committee  I'd like to clarify for the record, please, that our organization does not support the banning of civilian ownership of all guns.