On May 1 2020, Trudeau’s Liberal Government passed an Order In Council prohibiting many common restricted and non-restricted semiautomatic firearms, along with provisions to prohibit any firearm with a bore diameter of 20 mm or greater, or any firearm capable of discharging a projectile with a muzzle energy greater than 10,000 joules. The Order In Council is Regulations Amending the Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms and Other Weapons, Components and Parts of Weapons, Accessories, Cartridge Magazines, Ammunition and Projectiles as Prohibited, Restricted or Non-Restricted: SOR/2020-96and can be found in the Gazette http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-
First and foremost all Canadians should oppose the Government’s dictatorial edict to change regulations without passing any legislation in Parliament. Law-abiding firearms owners know that this is not fair, we know that this does not help victims of violent crimes, and we know that this will do nothing to keep Canadians safe. Our Government does not care and has their agenda to push at the expense of our rights, and our property.
The types of firearms most effected are named in the OIC:
- M16, AR-10, AR-15 rifles and M4 carbine
- Ruger Mini-14 rifle
- US Rifle M14
- Vz58 rifle and CZ858 rifle
- Robinson Armament XCR rifle
- CZ Scorpion EVO 3 carbine and pistol
- Beretta Cx4 Storm carbine
- SIG Sauer SIG MCX and SIG Sauer SIG MPX carbines and pistols
- Swiss Arms Classic Green and Four Seasons series rifles
- any firearm with a bore diameter of 20 mm or greater
- any firearm capable of discharging a projectile with a muzzle energy greater than 10,000 joules
There are several actions that concerned Canadians can take while the Government wades through the next steps that these changes in regulation require during the 2 year amnesty mentioned in the OIC.
1 Petition the Government
The easiest thing you can do is sign petitions to express you interest to the government. The next easiest is sharing these with your friends and family, whether they own guns or not. I can think of no good reason that the Government could not follow our democratic processes to bring legislation to Parliament and pass laws, instead of using an Order In Council.
e-2341 (Democratic process) was Presented to the House of Commons by its sponsor Glen Motz (Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner) on May 6, 2020. You can follow it’s progress here https://petitions.ourcommons.
This petition was closed for signatures in February as the most signed e petition to date and the Government must now reposed.
On May 5 two new petitions were initiated demanding the repeal of this OIC;
https://petitions.ourcommons.
Sponsored by Michelle Rempel Garnee (Calgary Nose Hill)
https://petitions.ourcommons.
Sponsored by Todd Doherty (Cariboo—Prince George)
Signing the petition costs you only a few minutes of your time and requires the government to respond to it. Historically petitioning the government has had little impact on their policy, but it is an opportunity to make your voice heard, and it shows the will of Canadians far more accurately then the obviously biased polls being released by media outlets and pointed to by certain politicians as representative of all Canadians.
If you sign an e-petition ensure that:
- It is an official petition listed on petitions.ourcommons.ca
- Confirm your signature by following the link in an email that will be sent to you. If you don’t get an email with in the day try signing the petition again.
2 Support the Pro-Firearms Ownership Organizations
Four major firearms organizations have released joint statements on the OIC;
CCFR: https://firearmrights.ca/en/
CSAAA: https://www.csaaa.org/
CSSA: https://cssa-cila.org/cssa-
NFA: https://nfa.ca/2020/05/03/ban-
The CCFR has released a statement that they plan to launch a legal challenge as the OIC may violate the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. https://firearmrights.ca/en/
The NFA has also released a statement that they are pursuing another legal tract in the Supreme Court https://nfa.ca/2020/05/07/nfa-
My sincere belief is that supporting these organizations represent the best hope we have to lobby the government for meaningful change. Whether that change is through education, registered lobbyists, or legal challenges. Many of our competitors likely have membership in one or more of these organizations already. Membership is not enough. You should also consider the following:
- Donating money to support funding legal challenges or their other efforts
- Volunteering your time with these organizations
- Sharing the messages of these groups through social media
3 Be Politically Engaged
Unfortunately being a concerned and informed Canadian is time-consuming and demands your involvement in the political process beyond casting a vote every 4 years.
As a member of a political party you may be able to vote for the party’s leader or policy. For those that are interested in voting on the next leader of the Conservative Party the deadline for membership is May 14. The cost for a one-year membership is $15. You must be a member of the Conservative Party in order to vote for its leader.
In addition to being an active member of a political party you may want to be engaged with your elected representatives. Write, call, or visit (respecting the current social distance guidelines due to the COVID-19 pandemic) your Member of Parliament, members of cabinet, and other elected officials. Remember to be polite and direct when making your points. Some people you may want to address any concerns you have regarding the OIC are;
- Your MP, find their contact info at https://www.ourcommons.ca/
Members/en - The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario,
Canada
K1A 0A6Telephone: 613-995-0284 - The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario,
Canada
K1A 0A6Telephone: 613-995-0253
Letters addressed to your MP’s Hill Office can be sent free of postage via letter mail. It is wroth considering mailing physical letters as a pile of paper is much harder to ignore compared to an overflowing email inbox.
Political actions you may want to consider;
- Becoming a member of a party
- Writing, calling, or meeting with your MP
- Writing or calling other elected officials
- Donating to your political party
- Volunteering in your Riding Association
Politicians will promise almost anything in order to be elected and are often required to be reminded that their constituents continued support, both financially and in volunteer time, are what keep them in their elected offices.