Public Safety committee  I agree.

Public Safety committee  I think it's going to be very difficult. I think that some narrow exemptions for Olympic shooters could be entertained. Certainly Germany, which has very strict gun control laws, does have some provisions for sport shooters. I may be training for the Olympic gymnastics team, and I can tell you that, but how can I prove that I am an Olympic-class gymnast?

Public Safety committee  Thank you very much, again, for the question. I do think that the federal government has to be very careful that it's not seen to be downloading its responsibilities onto the province. We opposed—as did the mayors of large municipalities across the country—the efforts to download the handgun ban to municipalities.

Public Safety committee  I think that the government has introduced this legislation in good faith. I think it's true that it's the most significant legislation that has been introduced in the last probably 20 years. However, the opposition parties have a very important role to play in holding their feet to the fire and ensuring that the most rigorous interpretation of this law is contained in the regulations and that no amendments that weaken this legislation are allowed to get through the committee.

Public Safety committee  I think that we have to make a choice between hobbies and our children's lives. I see it that starkly, so I think that any exemptions that are provided need to be very narrowly defined. With respect to the Lieutenant-Colonel, IPSC is not a sport that most Canadians and in fact most gun owners would believe deserves an exemption, given that it essentially promotes arming for self-protection.

Public Safety committee  Thank you for the question. Intimate partner violence is something that we really need to look at carefully, because it is a form of violence that is far more frequent in rural communities, where there are more guns in people's homes, just as we see more suicide in rural communities and murders of police officers.

Public Safety committee  Thank you for the question. We know that while smuggled guns are a problem and more work is needed to address that—we have recommendations on that as well—a portion of firearms recovered in crime are legally sourced. The Danforth shooting was a legal handgun and the mosque shooting was done by a legal gun owner with legal handguns.

Public Safety committee  Thanks very much for including me. I'm joining you from the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, Anishinabe, Haudenosaunee, Chippewa, and Wendat peoples. I want to start by thanking you for rescheduling me and allowing me to speak. I will follow up with a written brief.

Public Safety committee  You're absolutely right. It had a dramatic impact. Our legislation in 1995 had similar impacts, but the trends were reversed when the law was reversed.

Public Safety committee  Why doesn't Heidi go, as she's...?

Public Safety committee  If you look at the successful prohibitions in the U.K. and Australia, they were accompanied by buybacks.

Public Safety committee  Also, remember that the United Kingdom had 30 gun murders last year.

Public Safety committee  Thank you.

Public Safety committee  Thanks very much. My name's Wendy Cukier. I'm the president of the Coalition for Gun Control, which is a network of 200 public safety community organizations and public health groups. I am also the co-author of the book called The Global Gun Epidemic, with the past president of the American Public Health Association.

Public Safety committee  Yes. As I said at the outset, I'm happy to provide a written brief, translated and with the data that I'm citing.