When Does This “Freeze” Take Effect?
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino [intentionally?] sowed massive confusion about when this “freeze” on handgun sales actually takes effect.
“We are not waiting for this bill (C-21) to pass to take action,” Mendicino said. “Today we table changes to regulations under the Firearms Act to bring these handgun prohibitions into force as soon as possible.”
Yet Public Safety Canada’s website states, “These regulations will come into force once the Parliamentary tabling requirements under the Firearms Act are complete, expected in Fall 2022.”[i]
During the technical briefing that followed Monday’s press conference, the government spokesperson made this statement:
“These regulations will be following the democratic process through the Houses and if these regulations are approved and they come into force prior to Royal Assent [of Bill C-21] then they will be in effect and will apply [first].”
What Does That Mean?
“The democratic process” for regulations are specified in Section 118 (4) of the Firearms Act.[ii]
118 (4) A proposed regulation that has been laid pursuant to subsection (1) may be made
(a) on the expiration of thirty sitting days after it was laid; or
(b) where, with respect to each House of Parliament,
(i) the committee reports to the House, or
(ii) the committee decides not to conduct inquiries or public hearings.
And What Does That Mean?
The regulations will either:
-
Come into force 30 sitting days from May 30th, 2022 (likely the “Fall 2022” date from Public Safety), OR
- As soon as they are passed in the House of Commons and the Senate.
Clear as mud, right?
The House will pass these regulations ASAP as the NDP is committed to voting with the Liberals until the next legislated election.
The Senate will likely pass these regulations quickly as well, given Liberals control the upper chamber.
Indeed, Second Reading of Bill C-21 is happening in the House of Commons today at approximately 12:15 p.m. You can watch the debate live HERE.
The regulations could pass the House and Senate as early as next week. While this seems unlikely, the Liberals will happily stoop to a new low if it will get them their way.
This would also explain why the RCMP Canadian Firearms Program shut down access to PAL verifications and firearm transfers on Monday. They needed to ensure the system could be stopped at a moment’s notice.
Alberta Chief Firearms Officer Teri Bryant refuted these latest Liberal Lies.[iii]
Bryant said public safety would be far better served if greater attention was paid to tracking people who have firearms prohibition orders against them.
"Often these people already have numerous firearms prohibition orders against them, and yet they still are able to go out and track down and obtain firearms," Bryant said.
"We need to be tracking these people and keeping better tabs on them because these are really high-risk offenders. The problem with this package of measures is it targets the people who are at the lowest risk of offending."
As of yesterday, media outlets have reported that 337 repeat offenders, all arrested for committing other serious crimes, were also charged with 779 counts of breaching Firearm Prohibition Orders, yet Liberal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino refuses to lift a finger to fix Canada’s broken Firearm Prohibition Order System to address this serious public safety issue.[iv]
Justin Trudeau Lied
Justin Trudeau was consistent yesterday when he lied to Canadians claiming Bill C-21 will stop drug dealers, criminals and gangs from using smuggled illegal guns.
Trudeau makes this absurd claim every time he places new restrictions on RCMP-vetted licensed firearm owners.
Why Canadians continue to believe this Liberal lie is troubling.
Bill Blair Lied
Bill Blair was consistent when he lied about increasing funding for the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
According to a document Bill Blair presented to Parliament, he slashed funding for the CBSA by $264.9 million in 2021 and planned to slash another $125.1 million this year.[v]
Blair claimed he was cracking down on border security, but three government experts say almost nothing is being done to stop the flow of illegal handguns smuggled into Canada.
Speaking before the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security (SECU) on February 1, 2022, Mark Weber, National President of the Customs and Immigration Union, testified:
-
“Perhaps most glaring of all are the rail mode operations, where, according to the union's own data, as of 2019, only one one-millionth of all rail cargo was effectively being examined. The reality is that our current operational abilities in the rail field are virtually non-existent.”[vi]
National Police Federation President Brian Sauvé testified:
-
“Resources should prioritize the criminal use of firearms, with a coordinated strategy that effectively combines prevention, law enforcement and social programs.”[vii]
RCMP Deputy Commissioner Stephen White testified:
-
“The reality is that of the number of firearms that were seized last year across the country — well over 30,000 — the national tracing centre under the Canadian firearms program traced just a very small percentage of those handguns and other firearms.”[viii]
“We are taking effective steps in Bill C-21 to address all of the ways in which criminals gain access to guns,” Bill Blair claimed.
Why Canadians continue to believe this Liberal lie is even more troubling.
Further restricting the lawful ownership and use of firearms is not the solution to lax border controls, yet, for reasons we do not fathom – Canadians continue to believe Bill Blair’s Liberal lies.
The legal purchase of handguns by licensed and RCMP-vetted firearm owners is not the scary bogeyman this lying Liberal government would have you believe.
There's Still Time
If you want to have a say in who becomes the next leader of the Conservative Party of Canada – a leader who will look out for the rights of lawful gun owners and put the focus back on gun smuggling and violent criminals with guns – you still have time to buy a membership. The deadline is TODAY, June 3rd at 11:59 p.m.
Make your voice count! Get your $15 membership HERE.
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