An amendment to the federal Liberal government’s Bill C-21 that lists numerous firearms used for hunting is getting wider pushback as it gains more attention.
The Assembly of First Nations made a statement Thursday, saying they do not support a ban on numerous hunting firearms. And while Conservatives have been speaking against the bans, it’s only this week that one Liberal party member has openly criticized the expanded scope as well.
Yukon Liberal MP Brendan Hanley says his riding has many hunters who would be affected and wouldn’t support the legislation ‘as-is’ adding it needs to be clarified.
Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound Conservative MP Alex Ruff says plenty of people in the riding would be affected by the amendments, if they pass.
“It will be interesting to see if any Liberal MPs vote against it because, in the end, if they don’t — I guarantee you their chances of re-election are very difficult if you live in a rural riding and you support this amendment going through,” says Ruff.
Since Nov. 22, the amendments have been the subject of discussion and debate at parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security.
The amendment contains a section (G-4) which has a roughly 300-page list of makes and models of firearms to be banned through the creation of an ‘evergreen definition’ of an ‘assault style firearm.’
If passed with this amendment, Bill C-21 would write into legislation the expanded list, the guns banned by a 2020 order-in-council, and the existing handgun freeze.
When asked about the hunting guns in the amendment, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said this week, “We are focused on going after certain guns that have no place in Canada and we are not going after shotguns and rifles and that is the work that is going on right now– to look at that list in the amendment that we’ve put forward but we will continue to move forward with our commitment on banning assault style weapons.”
Ruff has been speaking against these bans affecting legally owned firearms since he was elected in 2019. He says, “The fact of the matter is, the only people that this ban and this amendment is targeting is law abiding firearms owners that are hunters or sport shooters or farmers. There’s nobody else — the criminals aren’t registered firearms owners.”
“The logic behind the whole thing doesn’t pass the common sense test in the first place,” adds Ruff, saying, the focus should be on illegal activity including gang-related crime and firearm smuggling.
While not a sitting member of this security committee, Ruff has taken part in recent meetings about the amendments to ask questions of a panel of experts on the various aspects of the legislation.