UCP Government Requests Ottawa to Stop Enacting Long Gun Registration

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Ottawa should delay or completely disarm the “long gun registration” set to take effect on Wednesday, the Alberta state government says.

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Calgary gun shop owners also said they are selling far more firearms than usual this week to customers who want to avoid strict rules before they become a reality.

Bill C-71, which includes unlimited acquisition of firearms, additional verification of possession licenses, and additional bookkeeping of companies, is ineffective in keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and for affected people. Alberta said it would not give enough time to prepare. Chief Firearms Officer Terrier Bryant.

“Although the federal government claims that Bill C-71 is important to our public safety, almost nothing has been miserably done to prepare individuals, businesses, or my staff. “Not,” Bryant said in a press release.

“Oberta firearms owners don’t understand the change and are concerned about the possibility of a new backdoor longgun registry, so our office has been flooded with calls since the news of the deadline. I am. “

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She said Ottawa should delay the bill’s enforcement by a year or abolish it altogether.

In a letter to Federal Minister of Public Security Marco Mendicino, Bryant could confiscate a firearm described by Ottawa as an assault weapon legally purchased before the bill under bill C-71. He said there was an additional concern that there was.

“This concern confiscates the property of the owner who acquired the firearm in full compliance with the law at the time of acquisition, using the existing register of restricted firearms under the Order in Council of May 2020. It is heightened by the government’s plan to do so, “said Bryant.

The bill was passed in June 2019, but Bryant said these license terms were only announced on May 11, and affected people have little time to adopt or understand them. I showed that.

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Canadian gun control groups argue that laws are needed to enhance public safety by better tracking gun licenses and sales and banning what they call “military offensive weapons.” To do.

The Gun Control Coalition argues that the federal government has not done enough to crack down on firearms in the recent rise in shooting, calling for a national ban on pistols, with a limited exception.

“Canada is one of the few countries in the world that has receded due to gun regulation reforms,” ​​said the group’s website.

“Few Canadians know that the AR-15, a military weapon used in many mass shootings, is being sold to Canadian citizens. Many Canadians have virtually banned pistols. I believe that — Canada currently has nearly a million legally owned pistols. “

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According to the RCMP, which oversees the verification system, individuals and businesses need to obtain a reference number from the firearms registrar to verify the validity of the buyer’s firearms license before transferring unlimited firearms.

Companies also need to keep sales and inventory records related to unrestricted firearms for at least 20 years.

“This is not the return of the Longgun Registry. Records created by the company are maintained by the company, not the government, and police need judicial approval to access them,” the RCMP website said. increase.

The owner of a Calgary gun shop said the new law was burdensome, ineffective and threatened privacy.

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However, James Cox said sales have increased significantly over the past week as customers tried to beat the watch before Bill C-71 went into effect.

“I would like to thank (Prime Minister) Justin Trudeau for all the extra business,” said Shooting Edge Cox, 510 77 Ave. SE.

“People want to get semi-auto before the registry starts.”

However, Mr. Cox said his appreciation for the Liberal Party government ended there, and the responsibility for additional verification was downloaded to the company.

And he said that the demand for more personal information from firearm buyers would jeopardize their privacy for no good reason.

“It’s a liberal point that it steals weapons from the street, but what about that?” Cox said.

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“These guys are out of control … it will be a nightmare.”

He said the use of firearms like the AR-15 was already severely restricted and that particular rifle had never been used in a Canadian crime.

“This is not the United States. The reason for the low death toll from firearms in Canada is due to (mandatory) training,” Cox said.

Many of Alberta’s firearms stores have been closed to better prepare for the enforcement of the law, he said.

The Ministry of Public Security of Canada did not comment on Tuesday that the Alberta government requested that the law be suspended.

BKaufmann@postmedia.com

Twitter: @BillKaufmannjrn