C-21 and impacts on hunters

For anyone who hasn't been watching the SECU committee meetings (which is probably most people), here's where things are at with firearms laws in Canada.

1. The order in council that banned "assault style rifles" (I hate that term) still stands. So does the handgun "freeze" (I hate that term too because it's a ban).

2. Bill C-21 which was supposed to be a "handgun ban" is not. They amended the thing so heavily that it now contains some really goofy stuff. Here's a couple things you can look forward to if and when it passes third reading in the House and gets through Senate.

- You will need a PAL to purchase magazines (any magazine, handgun or rifle). You'll also need a PAL to buy major components (not the exact language) including barrels and slides (and we don't know what else yet). This is at minimum an annoyance for us as hunters. The intent seems to be going after 3D printed handguns.

- Any centerfire semi automatic firearm (rifles and shotguns) that comes on the market after the bill is passed will be deemed prohibited if it was designed to accept 6 or more cartridges. Yes this is weird language and it's confusing. Yes it only applies to models that don't yet exist.

- An 'independent" advisory committee is being struck which will look at all existing firearm designs and determine if they should be classified as NR, R or Prohib. This is super scary because they will change the classification by order in council which means what that this "independent" committee decides in a vacuum what we can hunt with. This decision does not have to go through the House of Commons like regular legislation does. Any committee appointment by a government is not really independent. This committee is actually much worse than "the list" that they came out with in an amendment that was repealed. This is how they are going to prohibit things like your semi-auto shotgun and hunting rifle. There's even nothing preventing them from also banning something like a Winchester lever action because you know it has that high capacity tubular magazine under it. I'm not far mongering here...this should scare the crap out of all hunters.

So what can you do to try to stop all this? Write the senators and tell them they need to make amendments to this bad bill C-21. If you're in a riding that is NDP or Lieberal, write letters to them and tell them to stop this nonsense at third reading in the House of Commons. Bill C-21 got through committee because the NDP is propping up the minority Lieberals so they more than any other party could stop C-21 now.

And now to get really political....
When the next election rolls around, vote for the only party that's been fighting this nonsense. That's the Conservatives (CPC). Don't vote for Goofy's PPC party. That's in all ways is a wasted vote and it could make the difference between the lieberals getting back in or being punting out by the CPC. The reality is that only the CPC has a shot at beating the Liebs and only they've said they'll repeal C-21. The PPC will never get in power in Canada. If you live in the Portage-Lisgar riding DO NOT vote for Bernier (Goofy). It sounds like that's the riding he's going to run in. That one seat could be difference in the next election - the CPC is leading in the polls right now but not by much.