QUESTION PERIOD — Public Safety
Committee Amendments to Bill C-71
April 9, 2019
Honourable senators, my question is for the Government Representative in the Senate. Yesterday, the majority on the Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence adopted amendments that, in effect, defeat the purpose of Bill C-71, a bill which proposes to strengthen Canada’s gun control regime. These amendments would, for instance, eviscerate the bill’s provisions that strengthen background checks for persons applying for a gun licence. Would the Government Representative give us an indication as to the government’s view of these amendments?
I thank the honourable senator for his question and for his sponsorship of this important bill.
With respect to the specific question he is asking, obviously the government is waiting for the completion of the Senate process before forming a view as a government on its interaction with a bicameral parliament. Having said that, while the government is closely monitoring the situation, I would have to acknowledge that I, for my part, and the government for its, are concerned about the Senate amendments —
Point of order, Your Honour?
Sorry, Senator Martin, but points of order during Question Period are out of order.
Senator Harder?
You said there is a process already in place, senator?
I have referenced, senator, that there is a process in place and the government is waiting for that process to unfold. Having said that, it’s important for me to express to all senators that, during the 2015 election, the government promised voters that it would implement a range of specific measures to enhance public safety and reduce gun violence. Among those measures promised were three: First, to repeal changes made by the previous government that allow restricted and prohibited weapons to be freely transported with automatic authorization to transportation; second, to put decision-making about weapons restrictions back in the hands of police, not politicians; and, third, to require enhanced background checks to obtain a gun permit.
The committee’s report, as the honourable senator suggests, would undermine these three objectives. I would leave it to the rest of the Senate to determine in what form we wish to, as a Senate, collectively communicate our views.
