Dear Editor:
Bill C-42 was passed by the House of Commons and will now go to the Senate. The title of the bill may sound right but the contents do not at all reflect the needs of the lawful firearm community. Harper should have repealed Bill C-68, decriminalizing the lawful ownership of firearms in Canada.
Bill C-42 does not decriminalize lawful firearm possession. Lawful firearms owners are criminals in waiting upon the expiration of a paper licence. Sections 91 and 92 need to be eliminated.
C-42 does not eliminate prohibited classes based on barrel length and calibre (which includes black powder firearms), a confiscation scheme on part of the government.
C-42 does not eliminate the AR platform from the restricted class, a popular hunting rifle platform in North America.
C-42 does not eliminate the classification of a firearm based on its appearance.
C-42 does not eliminate the punitive safe storage and transportation requirements that have caused much grief to lawful firearm owners in the absence of any wrong doing.
C-42 does not remove the arbitrary powers of the CFO on licensing and operation of ranges and events.
C-42 does not remove the administration of the firearm act from the control of the RCMP.
In conclusion, C-42 is merely window dressing. Owning a firearm in Canada still makes one a potential criminal in waiting. So much for common sense.
Sincerely,
Inky Mark, former Member of Parliament
