Licensing:
A Cancer of the Soul

Monday, 20 June 2011

The Right Honourable Stephen Harper
House of Commons
Ottawa Ontario K1A 0A6

Dear Mr. Harper,

I certainly enjoyed celebrating our “strong, stable, national, Conservative majority Government” along with our fellow delegates during the Convention in Ottawa. But I was severely disappointed by your keynote address in which you pledged to introduce legislation in the fall that would only “scrap the costly and inefficient long-gun registry”.

Before taking this very critical legislative step we believe it is paramount for you to be aware of exactly what Bill C-68 has done to responsible firearms owners. Please note that ending “the long gun registry” will only eliminate the lesser part Jean Chrétien’s unjust law.

Although in 1995 former Liberal Justice Minister Allan Rock disguised it very well, his “gun control” Bill did two things. First, it created the Firearms Act, and a whole new bureaucracy to enforce its administrative requirements – the registration of “long-guns” and the licensing of firearms owners. Second, it amended the Criminal Code so that, for the first time in Canadian history, it became a criminal offence for a responsible citizen merely to possess a firearm without a licence.

In short, Bill C-68 not only created the ‘gun registry’, but it also created an intrusive, arbitrary licensing scheme and criminalized anybody who refused to submit and apply for the revocable firearms licence. An honest citizen cannot simply register a firearm; under this foul law the firearms owner must first obtain the permission from the Government to do so. Thus it is the licencing mandate of the Firearms Act that is the most significant legal impediment we face. Licencing destroys our proud Canadian heritage of responsible firearms ownership.

Significantly, while serving in Opposition the Conservatives promised to repeal all of Bill C-68 - not just the minor requirement of the registration of firearms. Solely ending “the gun registry” will do nothing to decriminalize the 224,000 firearms owning Canadians who, according to the Canada Gazette of 13 April 2011 have not renewed their firearms licences.

Therefore we call for the repeal of all of the Liberals’ Firearms Act and its attendant Criminal Code provisions as Garry Breitkreuz so eloquently advocated for over ten years. We trust we can count on your active support in the defence of our traditional Canadian liberties.

Sincerely,

Edward B. Hudson DVM, MS
Secretary

Canadian Unlicensed Firearms Owners Association
Association canadienne des propriétaires d’armes sans permis
402 Skeena Court, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7K 4H2
(306)242-2379 - (306) 230-8929
edwardhudson@shaw.ca
www.cufoa.ca