CUFOA
Canadian Unlicensed
Firearms Owners Association
Association canadienne des propriétaires d’armes sans permis
Letters
to the Prime Minister
& other Federal Ministers
     |
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
The Honourable David Tkachuk
The Senate of Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A4
Dear Senator Tkachuk,
Re: The Firearms Act; The Problem is Licensing
My colleague in the Canadian Unlicensed Firearms Owners Association (CUFOA) and I enjoyed meeting you at the dinner in Saskatoon on Wednesday, 15 April 2009. Your Master of Ceremonies’ remarks were encouraging, especially that seven Liberal senators face mandatory retirement within the next eight months.
I appreciated your willingness to discuss our concerns with the Firearms Act, and I welcome the opportunity to go into more detail. We formed our Association after Jean Chretien and Allan Rock began their full-scale assault against our unique Canadian heritage and culture of responsible ownership of firearms. The sole purpose of CUFOA is protecting our Right to have ‘Armes for their Defense’. The worst part of the Liberals’ Firearms Act is the licensing mandate. Licensing turns our Right of self-protection into a mere privilege.
For over twelve years we faithfully followed Garry Breitkreuz’s lead and worked extremely hard to help elect a Conservative government. And we were elated on 23 January 2006 when Mr. Harper became Prime Minister.
However, ever since that date we have become more and more disillusioned with the Conservative government and their commitment to protecting our Right to acquire, possess, and use firearms in a responsible manner. Our grievances with the Conservatives are substantive and specific:
(1) After the election Mr. Harper did not appoint Mr. Breitkreuz to any committee dealing with the Firearms Act.
(2) On 16 May 2006 when the Auditor General Shelia Fraser tabled her report, all the Conservatives announced was a so-called amnesty “to allow firearms owners to enter the system”.
(3) The Conservatives initiated the flawed EKOS Survey which endorsed greater controls on firearms, and then,
(4) The Conservatives’ newly formed Firearms Advisory Committee immediately endorsed Minister Day’s proposal of “enhanced licensing”.
Lately we have been even more appalled by the Conservatives’ timid, ambivalent actions regarding the responsible ownership of firearms. In response to Mr. Breitkreuz’s attending a firearms association meeting in Ontario, the Prime Minister's Office said "Our government obviously doesn't endorse the raffle [of a handgun]"1 and pointed out “there is no government [firearms] legislation currently before the House of Commons.”2 And while Mr. Harper’s recently introduced Senate Bill S-5 purports to repeal the “long-gun registry”, this bill does nothing to repeal licensing. On the contrary, a reply from the PMO makes this plain, “Firearm owners will still be required to hold a valid license”.
Senator Tkachuk, we do not want a perfunctory half-measure that in effect entrenches the worst part of the Firearms Act. Please remind Mr. Harper the problem is licensing. We prefer that Mr. Harper delay action until Liberal Senator Grafstein retires on 02 January 2010. Then when the balance of power in the Senate shifts to the Conservatives, introduce a proper bill. Repeal the entire Firearms Act.
Sincerely,
Edward B. Hudson DVM, MS
Secretary
1 . Gun lobbyists drop Tory MP as dinner speaker, Jennifer Lewington, Globe and Mail, 20 March 2009 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090320.wgun20/BNStory/politics/home
2. PM tries to enlist Ont. gun owners to scrap gun registry, Canadian
Press, 21 March 2009
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090321/Harper_Guns_090321/20090321?hub=TopStories
| Encl: | (1) The Whole Firearms Act Has To Go – Not Just The Gun
Registry - Garry Breitkreuz http://www.garrybreitkreuz.com/publications/Article217.htm (2) Mr. Harper’s Promise to Firearms Owners - Garry Breitkreuz http://www.cufoa.ca/articles/primeminister/pm_15_dec_2006.html (3) The Canadian Right of ‘Armes for their Defense’ – Ed Hudson http://www.cufoa.ca/articles/armes/armes_17_sept_2007.html (4) Letter from the Office of the Prime Minister, dated 15 April 2009 http://www.cufoa.ca/articles/primeminister/pm_15_apr_2009.html |
CC: Prime Minister Stephen Harper
The Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of Public Safety
Conservative Senators and Members of Parliament
Canadian Unlicensed Firearms Owners Association
Association canadienne des propriétaires d’armes sans permis
402 Skeena Crt. Saskatoon
Saskatchewan S7K 4H2
(306) 242-2379 (306) 230-8929
edwardhudson@shaw.ca
www.cufoa.ca
