CUFOA

Canadian Unlicensed Firearms Owners Association
Association canadienne des propriétaires d’armes sans permis

The Promise of the Conservatives while Serving as the Loyal Opposition

“There is only one to fix this mess and that is to elect a Conservative government. We promise to repeal Bill C-68 and return the gun laws to the way they were before 1995. Then I personally promise that I will start the task of fixing all the flaws in federal firearm laws by requiring that they be subjected to a public safety test administered by the Auditor General of Canada. My proposal includes a sunset clause on all gun control laws that have been proven by the Auditor General not to be cost effective at reducing the criminal use of firearms and improving public safety.”

Garry Breitkreuz, M.P.
Yorkton-Melville (SK)
Conservative Firearms Critic
House of Commons
08 July 2005

The Conservative Party of Canada Policy Declaration

As approved by the Convention on 19 March 2005

81. Firearms
A Conservative Government will repeal Canada’s costly gun registry legislation and work with the provinces and territories on cost-effective gun control programs designed to keep guns out of the hands of criminals while respecting the rights of law-abiding Canadians to own and use firearms responsibly. Measures will include: mandatory minimum sentences for the criminal use of firearms; strict monitoring of high-risk individuals; crackdown on the smuggling; safe storage provisions; firearms safety training; a certification screening system for all those wishing to acquire firearms legally; and putting more law enforcement officers on our streets.

Comparing Bill C-21 with the CPC Policy and Conservative Promises, several questions arise:

1. Lifetime licensing allows the government to track firearms owners forever. Why does this government so distrust the vast majority of decent nonviolent, responsible firearms owners that it wants to identify and track every innocent gun owner forever? What have we done to be rewarded with such attention by our government?

2. The legal definition of “license” according to Black's Law Dictionary , 7th ed, Bryan A. Garner editor, 1999, is " a revocable permission to commit some act that would otherwise be unlawful." The Conservative policy recognizes firearm ownership as a Right, not an unlawful act. Government may regulate a right, but may not regulate it out of existence. The Firearms Act, Bill C-21, and related sections of the Criminal Code will regulate our civil right to self-defense out of existence. Does Mr. Day not understand this fundamental fact?

3. The Firearms Act is subject to drastic changes at the whim of the Minister by using orders-in-council. Bill C-21 again grants the orders-in-council tool to the government. This procedure is undemocratic as well as unconstitutional. How can firearms owners trust this government?

4. Mr. Day was in Montreal as was Mr. Toews when the Conservative firearms policy was discussed. Mr. Day heard the arguments which we put forth and also knows how well the current policy amendment was supported. Bill C-21 does not meet the Conservative firearms policy; it is much closer to the Liberals' unjust policy. With property rights being the hallmark of the Conservative party platform, how can Mr. Day justify licensing firearms owners? Why would Mr. Day want to imprison responsible firearms owners for not having a license? Why confiscate our property? Why is that?

5. Historically , firearm registration and licensing firearms owner s have been part of "gun control" programs that made possible the calculated mass murder and genocide of between 70 and 170 million people. Such licensing schemes ultimately lead to disarming the responsible citizens and making them defenseless victims of criminals and their rogue governments. Canadians have uncharacteristically disobeyed the Liberals’ Firearms Act because they know their history. Canada now has the largest form of civil disobedience in Canadian history. Bill C-21, which amounts to putting lipstick on a pig, will not bring the over three million responsible firearms owners into an unjust licensing system. Bill C-21 continues to make "paper criminals" of Canada's responsible firearms owners. We are strong Conservative party members and supporters. Why would our fellow Conservatives do this to us?

6. There are no studies or evidence anywhere which show that licensing firearms owners reduces crime or improves public safety. Dr. Gary Mauser of Simon Fraser University has research that proves the Firearms Act is a failure. Why are Conservatives continuing to use "gun control" methods which have no effect on crime?

7. The goal of any firearm’s law should be to reduce crime. Would it not be more logical, useful and efficient to identify and track the 176,000 violent criminals with court specified firearms prohibition orders and those 37,000 persons with Canada-wide restraining orders instead of tracking the more than seven million innocent peaceful, responsible firearms owners?

8. CUFOA has been calling for the formation of the Firearms Prohibition Registry (FPR) as a logical and effective method to track criminals and other persons who the courts have deemed a danger to public safety and have been prohibited from possessing firearms. Why not adopt a system that honours the Conservative Party policy, Conservative promises, democracy, and the Canadian Constitution?