The Liberal Gun Grab is Just Plain Wrong

In May 2020, the federal government made a significant move with an Order in Council while Parliament was suspended: they prohibited a multitude of firearms and in doing so, made their lawful owners criminals if they did not turn over their property to the government. Unfortunately, no date or compensation was given for this exchange. The government based its decision on the physical appearance of the firearms and disregarded the operation, use, and caliber, falsely claiming it would increase public safety. It is clear, however, that this “Liberal Gun Grab” is wrong and unjust.

The Liberal Gun Grab is Just Plain Wrong

The wound is deepened by the recent Order in Council, which has caused even more firearms to be added to the prohibited list, without any public disclosure. To find out which target, hunting, or long-range/dangerous game rifles have been included, one must search the firearms reference tables. Furthermore, the previous designations of the FRT have been eliminated, another excessive act on part of the appointed CFO’s that totally disregards the legislation passed by the previous Conservative federal government. This is an attack on the property rights and freedoms of some of the most law-abiding citizens of Canada.

Recently, the Liberal Party, with the support of the Green and NDP Parties, voted down legislation introduced by the Federal Conservative Party and backed by the Bloc Quebecois which sought to impose greater punishments on those who smuggle or possess illegal firearms.

The Liberal Gun Grab is Just Plain Wrong

At the event held at Cardiff Park in Morinville, Alberta, last fall to dedicate a bench and plant an oak tree in memory of a victim of the Colchester Shooting in Nova Scotia, it became evident that the government of the day showed no true practical, common sense approach to addressing the very real public safety issue in Canada. Rather than use their power to bolster laws so that criminals who are the true threats to public safety can be identified and disposed of, they opted instead to punish law-abiding citizens. The collective emotion of the Albertan attendees of the event was heavy with grief, and my heart ached for them as we acknowledged our bruised sense of justice.

The Liberal Gun Grab is Just Plain Wrong

I was elected to give a speech at an event, yet this was far from a happy occasion. I spoke from the bottom of my heart, knowing well that the recent liberal gun policy was inadequate in preventing tragedies such as this from ever happening again. It completely failed to account for the real sources of the problem, and provided no assurance of safety to Canadians. In any other field, if such loss of life was occurring without the cause being addressed and subsequent changes to the law made, it would constitute as criminal negligence. Just look at the Westray mine disaster – this led to alteration of regulations and regulations, and today thousands more Canadians are safe because of this. Unlike this case, the Order in Council was nothing more than a mere window dressing and had virtually no effect. It was an honour for me to have been appointed to the Alberta Firearms Advisory Committee where myself and my colleagues have been listening to the advice of Albertans from the community phone town halls.

We received a total of over 37,000 online survey responses with recommendations on how to best support Albertans when it comes to firearms. Notably, many of the survey participants did not own firearms themselves. During one of the townhall calls, I admitted that “I had a problem”: to follow through on my promise to the family and friends of someone killed in Colchester – to do all that I can to prevent anything like that from happening again. As an MLA and task force member, I am in a strong position to bring attention to the real problems, while still keeping Albertans’ property rights and freedoms intact. As a direct result of the information, feedback, and input we received from the surveys and calls, we were able to take prompt action in appointing and managing our own Chief Firearms Officer provincially.

Alberta’s government is establishing an office to ensure that laws are enforced with an “Albertan Perspective”, centering around the property rights and cherished freedoms of the province. Education will be a major aspect of the office, providing training and educating the general public. We are accepting candidate applications for the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of this office, which will be operating by summer.

We are determined to make good policy while involving Albertans, demonstrating that we are here to serve the public. We are committed to bringing common-sense back to Alberta’s regulations for the betterment of citizens. Every effort will be made to protect law-abiding gun owners in the province, and I pledge to continue my dedication to upholding the promises made to Albertans.

We are far from done addressing this file. I made a promise to take action to counter the unwelcome decisions imposed on us by the federal government and appointed CFO’s. We need to get to the heart of the issue related to gun safety and leverage existing laws in regards to those who unlawfully obtain or trade firearms. Rather than singling out guns that are perceived to be “scary” based on opinion or lack of knowledge of the subject, we will do our utmost to protect the rights of present and future gun owners. We want to ensure that these freedoms remain intact in our province for our future generations. In order to do this, education is essential to rectify current popular misconceptions that led to the direction of the OIC.

We listened to our constituents and have made a commitment to introduce legislation that would prohibit municipalities from banning firearms ownership, as our federal Liberal government has suggested. Alberta is now going to be in the driver’s seat, not Ottawa. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact my office at [email protected].