Mon, February 6, 2023
N.W.T. MP Michael McLeod, left, and Yukon MP Brendan Hanley are both members of the Liberal Party who opposed the federal government's proposed amendments to Bill C-21.
(Jenna Dulewich/CBC, Vincent Bonnay/Radio-Canada - image credit)
Yukon MP Brendan Hanley and N.W.T. MP Michael McLeod say they're happy the federal government has backed down on proposed amendments to a firearms bill that would have banned some rifles commonly used for hunting.
Last week, the federal government announced it was withdrawing the amendments. In interviews with CBC on Monday, the two MPs — both of whom are members of the Liberal Party — each claimed a role in that decision.
"I think that the fact that [Public Safety Minister Marco] Mendicino came to the Yukon, I think that really made a difference — in addition to other comments, of course, but the fact that he could come and hear directly from people, I think, really started to make an impact," Hanley said.
"I think this was the right thing to do."
McLeod said he brought his concerns to the minister's office about the bill.
"I was pretty clear with him. I said, 'Look, my vote is not automatic — there's too many concerns here,'" McLeod said. "Having safer communities is one thing, but the process of getting there is also important."
The bill in question, Bill C-21, was originally meant to address gun smuggling, the sale of handguns and the revocation of licences for domestic abusers. The withdrawn amendments were widely panned by hunters, sport shooters, farmers and other groups as targeting legal and traditional activities many rely on to feed themselves.
On Friday, Mendicino said the government still wants to pursue amendments allowing a ban on firearms "designed for the battlefield" that aren't used in other activities.
Hanley said there needs to be more work done on creating a definition for "assault-style" firearms — a term the government has often used but hasn't defined. He said he also wants to see more consultation with Indigenous groups.
He added it "takes some courage" for the government to back off and admit it made a mistake.
"Clearly, this hasn't gone away, but there definitely is a pause to say, 'OK, we need to do a better job of listening to the concerns,'" Hanley said.
McLeod said he doesn't want to see the bill disappear altogether because he supports red flag laws and cracking down on gun smuggling.
He said his recommendation from the beginning has been to come up with a way to measure what an "assault" weapon is, though his suggestions haven't borne fruit.
"[We'll] have to wait to see what they come back with, and we're going to be watching closely to make sure they don't include guns that affect our hunters," he said.
Yukon MP Brendan Hanley and N.W.T. MP Michael McLeod say they're happy the federal government has backed down on proposed amendments to a firearms bill that would have banned some rifles commonly used for hunting.
Last week, the federal government announced it was withdrawing the amendments. In interviews with CBC on Monday, the two MPs — both of whom are members of the Liberal Party — each claimed a role in that decision.
"I think that the fact that [Public Safety Minister Marco] Mendicino came to the Yukon, I think that really made a difference — in addition to other comments, of course, but the fact that he could come and hear directly from people, I think, really started to make an impact," Hanley said.
"I think this was the right thing to do."
McLeod said he brought his concerns to the minister's office about the bill.
"I was pretty clear with him. I said, 'Look, my vote is not automatic — there's too many concerns here,'" McLeod said. "Having safer communities is one thing, but the process of getting there is also important."
The bill in question, Bill C-21, was originally meant to address gun smuggling, the sale of handguns and the revocation of licences for domestic abusers. The withdrawn amendments were widely panned by hunters, sport shooters, farmers and other groups as targeting legal and traditional activities many rely on to feed themselves.
On Friday, Mendicino said the government still wants to pursue amendments allowing a ban on firearms "designed for the battlefield" that aren't used in other activities.
Hanley said there needs to be more work done on creating a definition for "assault-style" firearms — a term the government has often used but hasn't defined. He said he also wants to see more consultation with Indigenous groups.
He added it "takes some courage" for the government to back off and admit it made a mistake.
"Clearly, this hasn't gone away, but there definitely is a pause to say, 'OK, we need to do a better job of listening to the concerns,'" Hanley said.
McLeod said he doesn't want to see the bill disappear altogether because he supports red flag laws and cracking down on gun smuggling.
He said his recommendation from the beginning has been to come up with a way to measure what an "assault" weapon is, though his suggestions haven't borne fruit.
"[We'll] have to wait to see what they come back with, and we're going to be watching closely to make sure they don't include guns that affect our hunters," he said.
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