(OTTAWA) The Trudeau government caused a surprise Friday by withdrawing the two amendments to add the ban on assault weapons to Bill C-21. The gesture was well received by all the main opposition parties, but it is a step back for the PolySeSouvient group, which campaigns for better gun control.
“My first reaction is deep discouragement,” said Nathalie Provost, spokesperson for PolySeSouvient and survivor of the Polytechnique massacre, in an interview. The group has been campaigning for the abolition of assault weapons since 1990.
“It is clear that the disinformation spread by the Conservative MPs and the pro-arms lobby has won,” she denounced a little earlier in a press release. The group points to a new online campaign by the Canadian Coalition for Gun Rights (CCGD) against C-21.
A motion tabled by Liberal MP Taleeb Noormohamed Friday morning to remove the two amendments that added the ban on assault weapons to Bill C-21. It received unanimous support from all parties in the parliamentary committee.
“We got a temporary break on the shotgun ban,” said Conservative MP Raquel Dancho.
The Quebec Federation of Hunters and Fishermen also highlighted “this new development” since the amendments “had the potential to include hunting weapons in the list of prohibited weapons”.
The pro-arms lobby sees this as good news, but not a victory. “The battle is not over,” wrote CCDA Vice President for Public Relations Tracey Wilson, who urged her members to continue to fight for the full withdrawal of Bill C-21.
The two amendments, which broadened the scope of the bill, were tabled in November by the government after consultations, which caused an outcry. The government had thus succeeded in robbing both the hunters and the Assembly of First Nations.
Initially, Bill C-21 banned handguns, but not assault weapons, which were already subject to an order in council ban. The amendments sought to enshrine this prohibition in legislation, while adding more models of weapons that would be prohibited. One of these amendments included a list of more than 300 pages of models that would be prohibited, including certain weapons used by hunters and Aboriginal people.
“Liberals heard the message”
“We regret the confusion this process has caused and are committed to a thoughtful and respectful conversation, based on facts and not fear,” Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said in a written statement.
“Bill C-21 does not target hunters, but certain firearms that are too dangerous in other contexts,” he added.
“I think the Liberals heard the message they needed to hear,” responded Bloc Québécois MP Kristina Michaud.
“We remain in favor of a ban on assault weapons, so it is certain that the hand is always extended to the government if they come back with amendments,” she added.
Conservatives fear a new ban on assault weapons by amendment or with a new bill.
In the meantime, elected officials will be able to “make progress” on other aspects of C-21 regarding “airsoft-type” airguns, according to NDP MP Alistair McGregor.
In interview at The Press last week, Minister Mendicino said he was ready to make changes to the amendments in the light of the comments that would be collected. “The SKS was created for war and the passage of time does not change that,” he argued. This military-style weapon, developed by the Soviets during World War II, is popular with hunters, including First Nations people.
He recalled that this weapon had been used to kill two police officers in October in South Simcoe County, Ontario.
The House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security met Friday morning to discuss a passageway. MPs agreed to hold four meetings to hear from various groups concerned about a possible ban on assault weapons. Minister Mendicino will also be invited to testify.