The Liberal government has withdrawn a series of controversial amendments to pending firearms legislation, Bill C-21, that some firearms owners say would have unfairly targeted hunters and farmers.
On Friday, Liberal MP Taleeb Noormohamed said the government is withdrawing a long list of guns that would have been classified as “prohibited” as part of a push to ban “assault-style” weapons.
The amendments would have banned weapons such as hunting rifles and shotguns under the Criminal Code, rather than through regulation.
Throughout Saskatchewan, the proposed bill was heavily criticized by both the provincial government and residents.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe was quick to show his approval of the amendment’s withdrawal.
“Pleased to hear the federal government has withdrawn their amendments to Bill C-21,” Moe said in a statement.
“Thank you to all those who made their voice heard and for the work done by our Chief Firearms Officer in protecting the law-abiding firearm owners in Saskatchewan.”
Ken Coates, a professor of public policy at the University of Saskatchewan, feels the gun regulations never should have been proposed in the first place.
“The government’s proposed gun regulations were one of the least required and least useful proposals to come out of a government in a decade, and we have no need for it,” he said.
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And while he may not be in favour of the Liberals’ bringing the bill forward, he gives them credit for doing the right thing.
“It’s good to see every once in a while that Parliament does respond to the demands of the people,” Coates said. “The Liberals, I don’t think, did a very good thing in bringing the proposed legislation forward. They did a very good thing in backing off.”
For those at Cache Tactical Supply in Regina, the announcement comes with mixed emotions.
On one hand, they celebrate the news that the proposed amendment has been withdrawn, but they also believe there is more work to be done at the federal level so this doesn’t happen again.
“It’s cautious optimism because they’ve pulled back this amendment, but they may very well put another amendment in that does it in a sneakier way,” said Aaron Strauss, the owner of Cache Tactical Supply.
Michael Kram, the member of Parliament for Regina Wascana, is concerned the Liberals are focused on the wrong area when it comes to gun violence.
“Whenever there is a drive-by shooting in Toronto, they tend to make law-abiding gun owners, particularly in Western Canada, as the scapegoats,” Kram said.
Coates echoed a similar sentiment, saying the focus should be on protecting the ways people have been hunting for years.
“This is a country of hunters,” Coates explained. “We grew up hunting, fishing and trapping…. Guns are a big part of our culture in many ways, but there’s a completely different gun culture in the cities.”
The decision follows weeks of “considerable discussion” about the best way to move forward with the firearms restrictions, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said in a Friday statement.
“There have been legitimate concerns raised about the need for more consultation and debate on this vital part of the bill,” he wrote.
“We hear those concerns loud and clear, regret the confusion that this process has caused and are committed to a thoughtful and respectful conversation that is based on facts, not fear.”
This issue, he wrote, is an “emotional one.”
“Canadians are counting on us to get it right. More discussions, including with Indigenous communities, are crucial,” Mendicino said.
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