LAC LA BICHE - New federal gun control legislation will adversely affect the regional shooting and hunting community as well as firearms sales, says a local retailer.
Graham Campbell has been the main man behind the gun counter at Lac La Biche Sporting Goods for many hears. He is expressing his displeasure at Bill C-21, recently passed by the Trudeau government, a law he says not only places unnecessary regulations on firearms outlets, but is designed as an attack on law–abiding gun owners. Campbell says the new legislation bans as many as 1,500 models of popular sport hunting rifles and shotguns.
Like previous firearms legislation in Canada, including the much – maligned gun registry that was repealed in 2012, Bill C-21 contains strict outlines mandating retailers to maintain records of purchases that by law, must be kept on file for a minimum of 20 years.
“As if we weren’t already operating under a very burdensome regime of bureaucratic red tape. Now, as a retailer, I will be required to get a reference number from the Canadian Firearms Center in Miramichi, New Brunswick for every firearm purchased,” Campbell explained. “Because reference numbers are only good for 90 days, they must be renewed every three months.”
In addition to being the “red tape” and associated costs and obstacles for both the firearms community, retailers and taxpayers, the fact that that language contained within this new piece of legislation is vaguely worded is also of great concern to Campbell.
“It’s so convoluted, half of the members of Parliament don’t even understand the law,” he affirmed. “I find myself educating the public and customers, including police officers, who have no idea themselves if that shotgun they recently purchased will find its way onto the banned list.”
Lacking details
While the federal government has pledged that the owners of prohibited firearms will receive compensation as part of a buyback, so far, Campbell has not been informed as to how generous this monetary compensation will be.
“Right now, as with everything else in this horrendous piece of legislation, nothing has been written in stone with regards to fair compensation with the buyback,” he stated. “Retailers will be the first to be bought out, followed by the general public.”
And while Bill C-21 has been touted by Ottawa and gun control advocates as an effective means of curbing crime – including firearms trafficking - Campbell doesn’t mince words when he says the true purpose of the law is to eventually outlaw all private firearms ownership in Canada.
“It’s only a matter of time before every model is added to the banned list,” he said. “This legislation is nothing but a fraud, a way of appeasing the anti-gun crowd. It doesn’t target violent crime, only licensed, law-abiding folks, who are the low–hanging fruit and therefore are an easy target.”
Both Lakeland-area Members of Parliament, Shannon Stubbs and Laila Goodridge voted against the third reading and final adoption of Bill C-21 in Ottawa on May 18. The Bill was supported by 207 MPS. Stubbs and Goodridge were among the 113 to vote against. The Bill has moved past first reading in the Canadian Senate. It is currently in Second Reading stages. A date for the Third Reading leading to Royal Ascent has not been scheduled.
