BARRHEAD/WESTLOCK-Peace River-Westlock MP Arnold Viersen and his Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) colleagues agree with the Liberal government that something needs to be done about crimes committed using firearms.
However, they disagree with the Liberal’s approach.
"[Bill C-21] is little more than politic pandering in an attempt to appeal to their base in the urban centres," he said, during a March 9 virtual town hall.
The purpose of the forum was to receive feedback from constituents on the bill. Joining Viersen was guest speaker Glen Motz, CPC MP for Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner. Motz, was a former Medicine Hat police officer who rose through the ranks, first as a regular member, then as a member of the force's tactical squad, before retiring as the 2IC (the second-highest authority in the Medicine Hat police). He currently sits on the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security and he formerly served as the CPC's associate shadow minister for Public Safety.
Although the bill was introduced in the House of Commons in late February, Motz said the government started to unroll components of its gun control agenda in May2020 through a cabinet Order of Council paper when it reclassified about 1,500 firearm models as assault-type weapons. The move effectively banned their use.
The order came about two weeks after the mass shooting in Nova Scotia that resulted in the deaths of 22 people. To carry out the shootings, gunman Gabriel Wortman disguised himself as an RCMP officer using a decommissioned RCMP vehicle, and equipped himself with illegally obtained guns with over-capacity magazines, including two semi-automatic rifles and two pistols as part of the two-day killing spree. The spree ended when Wortman was shot and killed by a police officer.
"They use misleading language to describe a problem where none existed," Motz said. "They were politically posturing to the anti-gun lobby, to try to solve a problem banning firearms that were already prohibited."
Later in the town hall, Motz would go on to explain that military assault rifles have been banned in Canada since 1978.
“Now they have banned a whole list of firearms that never posed a problem and [legislation] that only impacts legal firearms owners."
Since the original ban, the government added another 400 weapons, Motz said.
As concerned as he is about how the government is deciding which weapons should be banned, which is basically by appearance, Motz is equally distressed by the "red and yellow flag" clauses in the proposed legislation.
Under the red the flag clause, it would allow anyone to make a court application for an order to immediately remove firearms, for up to 30 days, from an individual who may pose a danger to themselves or others. Similarly, individuals could apply to the court for the temporary removal of firearms from a third party who may be at risk of providing access to firearms to an individual who is subject to a prohibition order.
Under the yellow flag clause, a chief firearms officer (CFO) would have the ability to suspend a gun owner's licence for up to 30 days if there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the individual is no longer eligible to hold a firearms licence.
Currently, Motz said if a person believes that someone who has a firearm is a threat to themselves or someone else, police have to conduct an investigation and then go to a judge to get an order to seize any weapons the individual might have.
"They then have a hearing and go through the evidence to determine whether or not an individual should retain a firearm. They can also go into a residence if they believe there is an imminent threat if they have reasonable grounds without a warrant. But even then there will be a hearing down the road," he said. "Under the red flag rules, anyone can go before a judge, without even having the other person being there, and say that this person is a threat and the judge can order the seizure of firearms."
And although that might sound good on the surface, Motz said, the clause is open for abuse.
"People can be vindictive, make false accusations," he said.
Motz is also concerned that Bill C-21 will give municipalities the option of enacting bylaws restricting handgun storage and transportation.
However, in Alberta, the risk of that happening is not as great as in other jurisdictions. Several Alberta mayors, including Naheed Nenshi in Calgary and Don Iveson in Edmonton, have stated that their preference was for a consistent regional or national approach on firearms as opposed to city-by-city prohibitions.
In December, Brooks-Medicine Hat United Conservative Party (UCP) MLA Michaela Glasgo introduced Bill 211 the Municipal Government (Firearms) Amendment Act, which contradicts the federal bill legislation in that it would prohibit municipalities from enacting firearms bylaws without provincial approval.
Viersen said the only thing the government's attempt to place additional regulatory burdens on law-abiding gun owners would accomplish is that it would widen the urban-rural gap and do nothing to lower gun-related crime.
“Instead of taking firearms away from law-abiding citizens, this government should be tabling legislation that will strengthen and protect Canada’s borders to stop illegal gun smuggling that supplies gangs in Canadian cities.”
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
