Public Safety committee  As to whether we should indeed confiscate the weapons of people who are at risk, the answer is yes. We have to encourage any measure that allows us to remove weapons, voluntarily or following a report, from a vulnerable person who is at risk of committing suicide.

Public Safety committee  I'm not sure I understood your question. However, I believe the majority of the population wants to see safety measures around guns, despite the fact that those who oppose any form of gun control express themselves loudly and clearly. I think the majority of Canadians want safet

Public Safety committee  What do you mean by “develop”?

Public Safety committee  I don't have specific knowledge of all the processes related to homicides and suicides. The process is indeed different in the case of a suicidal person. The fact remains that the person is experiencing acute suffering. However, insofar as statistics are concerned, I think there

Public Safety committee  In my opinion, it contributes to creating a certain state of mind, a context. The person who wants to acquire firearms sees that some fairly serious security measures are in place. It isn't easy to obtain a gun permit. It's not necessarily easy to purchase a firearm. It's a way o

Public Safety committee  I'm not fully aware of all the circumstances relating to “Anastasia's law”. Our specialty is really suicide prevention. In my opinion, however, when you consider all safety aspects, confidentiality should not be the priority. One has to report risks, if one feels they are present

Public Safety committee  It is in fact a normal procedure when it is known that the person has weapons and that he is at risk of being suicidal. I'll give you the example of people who work in suicide prevention in Quebec. When they meet with a client, they ask if he or she has firearms at home and if h

Public Safety committee  That is a good question, and frankly, I don't have a specific answer for it. That said, you need to make sure that enough time has passed before the person is allowed to recover their weapon. A medical evaluation should show that the person no longer has mental issues or suicidal

Public Safety committee  I'll start with your second question. Indeed, we support and recommend that firearms be taken away when they are in the possession of people who present a risk. From what I know, the process in Quebec is relatively simple: a report can be made to law enforcement authorities, who

Public Safety committee  That is a good question. I'll be honest with you, I don't necessarily have an opinion on that. But in my view, a person with mental issues, even if he wants to engage in recreational activities like hunting or the like, should not have firearms in his possession. However, it's

Public Safety committee  Yes, absolutely. It's very important to know the mental health history of a person who applies for a gun permit. That is indeed a risk factor. It is thought that in close to 90% of suicides, mental health issues were a factor, ranging from more minor issues such as depression, a

Public Safety committee  There is no doubt that from the point of view of gun owners, who comply with the law in the majority of cases, this can be considered red tape and an annoying formality. However, in my opinion, given that gun ownership is not a right but a privilege, and one which presents a risk

Public Safety committee  In fact, according to the studies we have, the presence of a firearm in a home increases the risk of suicide fivefold. The data published by the Institut national de santé publique du Québec show that the number of suicides caused by firearms decreased by 53% between 2000 and 20

Public Safety committee  Thank you. Good afternoon, members of the committee. I thank you very much for your invitation to come to speak to you about firearms control in the context of suicide prevention. I am the director of the Association québécoise de prévention du suicide. The AQPS is a community