Thread by @ThatLibertyGuy

THREAD: Bill C-71 Canadian Senate Standing Committee on Security and National Defence (SECD) to hear from witnesses today.

Agenda and Link to Live Stream
:sencanada.ca/en/Committees/…

CPAC TV Live Stream:
cpac.ca/en/direct/sen1…

#StopBillC71 #KillBillC71 #BillC71Book

Dr. Mike Ackermann via video conference. Charles Tayler from Movie Armaments Group up first.

Charles Taylor: Bill C-71 will do nothing to stop drug dealers, gangs or criminals. My staff are all ex-police and military.

Charles Taylor: Why will my Authorisations to Transport be revoked? Have I or any other licensed gun owner done anything to warrant this change? No.

Charles Taylor: The CZ-858 wasn't "dangerous" 10 years ago. Why are they now considered dangerous today? What changed?

Charles Taylor: Invest in hiring more police and CBSA officers to combat firearms trafficking and smuggling.

Charles Taylor: Offers a series of ideas for keeping young people out of gangs and criminal life.

Dr. Mike Ackermann: long history of personal training with firearms, including Canadian military service.

Dr. Mike Ackermann: Many similarities between law abiding gun owners and Muslim community. We rightfully fight back against this social bullying, the difference being Muslims are fully supported when one extremist does something stupid. Gun owners are not. We're blamed for it.

Movie industry requires access to various guns in short order. If we have to import guns they require, those productions will be gone before we can bring in what they require for their movie.

C-71 is political in nature, not public safety.

I'm not crazy about the idea of the RCMP being the sole arbiter of firearm classification in Canada. This is the role of Parliament, not unaccountable police.

Senator McPhedran up.... wait for it....

Two types of Authorisations, personal and business. Business ATTs will not change under C-71, but personal ATTs will. Business ATTs allow all employees to move firearms to/from various locations, as needed.

McPhedran: Are you a member of the NRA? Are you a member of any Canadian gun rights group?

No, and No.

Dr. Ackermann: "compromise" is a one-way ratchet. LAGOs are the safest citizens in Canada, half the rate of violence as police officers.

Dr. Ackermann: We want laws to strictly and severely target violent criminals.

Dr. Ackermann: We obey the law, even when it fails at its stated purpose, even when it is punitive.

Dr. Ackermann: Screen all LAGOs to the higher RPAL standard. Provide a web portal for anyone to verify a firearm license.

Dr. Ackermann: We want the PAL to be our defacto ATT, as Mr. Taylor mentioned already.

Dr. Ackermann: We don't want gun anarchy. We want a coherent system of laws which target the negligent and criminal uses of guns.

Senator Pratte: Government says ATTs will be available online with a much more rapid system, available 24x7.

Senator Pratte: If you allow automatic ATTs for to/from shooting ranges, that covers 90% of all uses. That only leaves a small number who require ATTs for other uses, like border, gunsmiths, etc.

Taylor: If government bans handguns and "assault rifles" this will directly and negatively affect my business and the entire movie business in Canada.

What do the record requirements of C-71 change for you?

It will mean we have to create records of all guns, including non-restricted firearms.

Senator Marc Gold: both witnesses drew a very sharp distinction between law abiding gun owners and criminals. That distinction may not reflect the whole picture. Ppl who develop m/health problems turn to violence in the moment. Guns readily available increase domestic violence

Senator Marc Gold: legal guns make suicide by gun far more likely. Access to guns increases the chances of firearm suicides.

Senator Marc Gold: C-71 is targeting a real problem - guns in the hands of licensed users being used against themselves or spouses

Dr. Ackermann: a lot of these stats go back to Kellerman study, which has been debunked. He looked at houses where murder scenes, not all houses. Extreme selection bias makes that study invalid.

Dr. Mike Ackermann: I would rather focus on the mental health of the patient than on the tool they use to commit suicide.

Dr. Mike Ackermann: Coalition and Doctors groups also suffer from extreme selection bias. The people doctors see in the ER are the result of gang violence, not licensed gun owners.

Charles Taylor: I have no issue with expanded background checks. It's important for everyone to be on the same page, gun owners, mental health professionals and police.

Charles Taylor: You can't stop someone from killing themselves if they are committed to ending their lives.

Senator Boisvenu: Isn't it true most suicides and and domestic violence is committed with registered firearms?

Dr. Mike Ackermann: The primary weapon in domestic violence is fists and feet, follwoed by knives, and sometimes firearms. No evidence of whether gun registered or not.

Senator Oh: How many times have you lost a firearm in all the years you have worked in the movie industry?

Taylor: Never.

Senator Oh: How will C-71 impact your business?

Taylor: for transport, it doesn't impact business transport of firearms.

Senator Oh: Do you believe Bill C-71 will reduce the suicide rate?

Dr. Mike Ackermann: No, it will not impact the overall suicide rate at all. It may have some small impact on suicide by firearm.

Senator Dagenais: You were a member of the Firearms Advisory Committee in past, correct?

Dr. Mike Ackermann: Yes.

Senator Dagenais: Were you consulted to be part of the committee by this government?

Dr. Mike Ackermann: No.

McPhedran: while abuse sometimes includes pointing guns and women and kids, the very presence of guns served to silence women even when the gun was not used.

Dr. Mike Ackermann: We need to focus on these victims to give them the support they need, harden them as targets and give them the help to get out of the abusive situations.

Dr. Mike Ackermann: The presence of violent abusers is the biggest issue, not the tool they choose to inflict abuse.

END of first session

SESSION 2 Begins with Minister Bill Blair

Bill Blair: there is no greater responsibility of government than to ensure the safety of its citizens.

Bill Blair: uses 2013 as beginning of his stats to give the fake "spike" in "gun violence."

Bill Blair: spouts the usual talking points from Coalition for Gun Control and Doctors Who Hate Guns.

Bill Blair: There is no one simple solution to gun violence.

Bill Blair: Key themes from his consultations on handgun/semi-automatic rifles.

Consultations have explored the need for stronger storage requirements for gun owners and firearm businesses.

Bill Blair: we need better data and better police reporting

Bill Blair: We're looking specifically at the weapons used in the New Zealand mosque shootings and the shootings here in Canada.

Bill Blair: We're giving provinces maximum flexibility to use funding to deal with their specific needs.

NOTE: This $327 million funding still hasn't moved out of Ottawa, but is used at every opportunity to say the government is "doing something.".

Bill Blair: Dealing with the underlying causes of violence and gangs has consensus across the board of those we consulted.

Bill Blair: We cannot arrest our way out of the crisis of "gun violence."

Senator Dagenais: We both understand organized crime will use smuggled guns and remove serial numbers. C-71 won't stop this and doesn't affect this at all.

Government reduced minimum prison sentences for violent crime, so it's clear the government aren't doing much to stop it.

Bill Blair: government made significant investment in our policing, but law enforcement is reactive - after the fact - and can't prevent violence

Bill Blair: a significant number of guns "on the street" are being stolen from gun owners and gun dealers.

Bill Blair: 30% of all "crime guns" are domestically sourced.

Senator Dagenais: Will the government compensate firearm businesses and firearm owners for losses because of future gun bans you may impose?

Bill Blair: We have not made a decision on that matter.

Bill Blair: overwhelming majority of gun owners are good and responsible people.

Senator Griffin: If we were to amend to add appeal mechanism for RCMP classifications, what would be the logical place for such an appeal? What agency?

Alexandra Budgell: RCMP assessing firearms against the Criminal Code definitions set by Parliament. Recourse is through court references, international trade tribunals in the case of importing.

Senator Griffin: Since a weapon can be moved upward, from restricted to prohibited, would it also make sense to be able to "downgrade" a firearm from prohibited to restricted?

Alexandra Budgell: Currently possible, C-71 will remove that ability.

Senator Griffin. So, no, then.

Bill Blair: We're examining the evidence to bring forward evidence-based policy based on the best available evidence.

Bill Blair: my job was to examine ALL of the ways and determine the best way to respond to the concerns about violence in our nation.

Bill Blair: There are important discussion on what the best way forward is. Those discussions ongoing. We're not afraid to consider any option.

Senator Dagenais: Since 2013, 60% of all firearm violence is gang related. Rather than moving in on honest LAGOs, should we move in on organized crime since that's where the real problem is, not hunters?

Bill Blair: Innocent people were killed with a FIREARM on the Danforth.

Fails to add the gun was smuggled or stolen but police refuse to tell us where killer's gun came from. Or that this guy broke myriad laws.

Senator Dagenais: criminals are not going to license themselves or register their guns. So why are we focusing on licensed gun owners?

Bill Blair: We're focused on interdicting guns from legal sources into criminal hands.

Bill Blair: We're working to flow funding to communities across the country to address violence.

But the money still hasn't flowed...

McPhedran spewing platitudes

McPhedran: Do you need to be more realistic on handguns?

McPhedran: Given the window for parliamentary action, it seems unlikely that action can take place. Why not add handguns to the prohibited list since we're already opening up this section in Bill C-71?

Bill Blair: Anyone who wanted to share their perspective had the opportunity to do so. We did get a very wide range of perspectives. Conducted round tables and town halls, ranges, etc. Met with many victim advocacy groups, etc. and their testimony was important and compelling.

Bill Blair: great deal of concern expressed about the presence of firearms in domestic violence situations.

Bill Blair: we're considering the best way to respond...

Bill Blair: Handguns. My mandate was to respect those Canadians who own and use firearms responsibly, including Olympic sport shooters. We've got to find the best evidence to support the actions we take.

People want something done fast. I want to do it right.

McPhedran doesn't think Bill Blair will have the opportunity to "do more later."

i.e. she isn't confident the Liberals will win #Election2019. I hope her fear becomes reality.

Bill Blair: We commit to ensuring appropriate and adequate service levels take place to not burden lawful gun owners.

Senator Andre Pratte: Will you commit to consulting the firearm community?

Bill Blair: Yes. All of my colleagues represent lawful firearm owners in their constituencies and are very dedicated to bringing forward their concerns.

Bill Blair: We're not "targeting" anybody. We're bringing forward legislation to keep our communities safe.

Bill Blair: the rules are intended to help gun owners be responsible.

Senator David Richards: I don't think the criminal element will be bothered by this legislation, C-71.

Bill Blair: The nature of criminals is they don't respect any of our laws. It's necessary to make it more difficult for criminals to get their hands on guns.

Bill Blair: Any steps that we can take to make it more difficult for criminals to get their hands on guns owned by law-abiding citizens is a good thing.

Senator Oh: Only law-abiding gun owners require ATTs, not criminals.

Bill Blair: One of the points of vulnerability for guns to be stolen is when they are in transport.

Bill Blair: I have not considered adding a fee for Authorisations to Transport.

Senator Griffin: It mystifies me why an ATT is NOT required to go to and from the gun range, but it should be to take that same gun to a gunsmith. A fully-functional firearm is far more desirable than one that doesn't work that's being transported to a gunsmith.

BINGO!