MPs’ work on gun control misses target

Amendments to the federal government’s proposed new firearms law, Bill C-21, have generated a complex debate on a simple question: what criteria should be used to distinguish legitimate hunting guns from prohibited firearms? Surely, most everyone agrees that not all firearms belong in our homes and communities, and the mere fact that a gun can be used for hunting does not make it safe or appropriate for civilian use. There is no right to own a gun or to bear arms in Canada. Guns should have to meet certain requirements to be allowed into our communities, be it to hunt animals, shoot targets, or feature in collections or historical re-enactments. The recently withdrawn amendments to Bill C-21 proposed a list and definition to identify prohibited firearms. In a healthier political climate, the debate on this proposal would have focused on technical criteria. Should the cut-off be muzzle energy exceeding 10,000 or 12,000 Joules? Should we exclude guns designed for high-capacity magazines, or those capable of accepting them? Instead, the debate in the House of Commons, online, and in the media has been dominated by disinformation. Among the multitude of false claims: “The government is going after hunters.” “Millions of models are being banned.” “C-21 is a grab on your guns.” As Alberta’s Chief Firearms Officer Teri Bryant acknowledged in her recent testimony on Bill C-21, there are thousands of gun models available and used for hunting. Amendments to Bill C-21 listed fewer than 500 models of weapons that would become prohibited, leaving 19,000 makes and models of non-restricted weapons, including semi-automatic rifles, unaffected by the proposed changes. The panic about hunting guns is obviously misplaced. Compared to the many women’s and survivor-led gun-control organizations that rely on volunteers or precarious funding to promote responsible firearms restrictions in Canada, “the pro-gun lobby is large, vocal, and well-financed," as one Toronto Star columnist put it. Its ability to dominate and influence public and political debate is difficult to match. But Members of Parliament have an obligation to act in the interests of all Canadians. Disappointingly, during committee hearings, members of the Conservative Party and the NDP reinforced misinformation being spread by the pro-gun lobby about C-21. The NDP pointed to the “absolute need” for semi-automatic rifles to fight polar bears in the North, even though banning all semi-automatic guns is not, and has never been, on the table. The Conservatives asked if the government was taking the right measures in “trying to prohibit” automatic firearms, even though these weapons have been banned since the 1970s. Conservative MPs even repeated the gun lobby’s mantra that the government is banning scary-looking guns, asking a witness to confirm that the amendments were a failure because “a gun should be classified on what it does, what it’s capable of, not by what it looks like”. Yet there is no mention of colour, appearance, or material in the proposed definition of a prohibited firearm; all proposed criteria are technical and based on purpose or functionality. Of course, most Canadians do not read the law, let alone amendments to a bill. So, it is up to our Members of Parliament, who have the privilege of knowledge and expertise, to provide the public with accurate information. False and misleading claims by our political leaders, in or out of the House of Commons, have no place in our democracy. Notwithstanding the proven link between guns and violence against women, Canadian women’s groups have not been treated as serious stakeholders in the gun control debate. This must change. Representatives of 34 women’s and feminist organizations have joined the #Women4GunControl Coalition, including national organizations with membership across the country. Disinformation and partisan politics are recklessly distorting the current firearms control debate in Canada. We call on elected representatives of the Liberals, Bloc Québécois, and NDP to respect their campaign promises to strengthen gun laws. And we call on all Members of Parliament act with the integrity that their position requires and put the safety of women, girls, and communities first. Suzanne Zaccour is the head of Feminist Law Reform at the National Association of Women and the Law. Erin Whitmore is the executive director of Ending Violence Association of Canada. Paulette Senior is CEO and president of the Canadian Women’s Foundation. The Hill Times

MPs’ work on gun control misses target

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MPs’ work on gun control misses target

Notwithstanding the proven link between guns and violence against women, Canadian women’s groups have not been treated as serious stakeholders in the gun control debate. Now, 34 women's groups are calling out misinformation around Bill C-21.

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