(Ottawa) Sport shooters are lobbying the federal government to include a broader exception for them in its future national handgun freeze — an idea that gun control advocates strongly oppose.
Posted yesterday at 10:12 p.m.
In May, the Liberal government announced a plan to implement a freeze on the importation, purchase, sale or transfer of handguns to help quell gun violence. fire.
The government argues that capping the number of handguns in Canada will make the country safer, noting that they were the category of weapon most represented in most violent gun-related crime between 2009 and 2020.
Companies may, however, continue to sell weapons to certain exempt persons, including snipers who participate or train at events recognized by the international Olympic or Paralympic committees.
According to Canadian Sporting Arms and Ammunition Association President Wes Winkel, other competitive shooters should also be exempt from the proposed legislation.
Before the House of Commons National and Public Safety Committee on Tuesday, he argued there is no need to harm trained shooters who have “devoted their lives” to a sport, simply because some guns are used by criminals.
Winkel proposed adding exemptions for participants in international competitions organized by the Single Action Shooting Society, the International Confederation of Practical Shooting (CITP) and the International Defensive Pistol Association.
Unlike more traditional competitions, ISCO competitions can involve shooting on the move at stationary and moving targets, in addition to trying to be quick between shots.
Jim Smith of IPSC Canada recently issued a statement in which he claimed to have sensed openness from federal elected officials.
“There appears to be at least an opening to consider adding ISCO to the list of snipers who would be exempt from the proposed ban,” he pointed out.
PolySeSouvient opposes the idea
Gun control group PolySeSouvient argued in a written brief to MPs studying the bill, known as C-21, that the exemption should be limited to athletes who train or participate in a Olympic or Paralympic discipline.
” [Le comité] should legislate bearing in mind the possibility that the International Practical Shooting Confederation may one day be recognized by the International Olympic Committee,” the brief reads.
“Amending Bill C-21 to limit the exemption to current Olympic or Paralympic competitions would prevent a scenario in which freezing handguns would be unnecessary. »
PolySeSouvient recalls that the current wording of the bill would allow anyone who says they are interested in one day participating in an Olympic shooting discipline to be exempted and accepted in an initiation course.
The group therefore calls for an amendment limiting the exemption to current athletes and coaches in an Olympic or Paralympic discipline.