Private Member's Motion (7 April 2022)

From Hansard (7 April 2022)

 

Federal Government’s Approach to Gun Crime

The Assembly was debating the following motion moved by Ryan Domotor (Sask Party - Cut Knife-Turtleford):

That this Assembly condemns the federal government’s targeting of law-abiding firearm owners in recent regulatory changes and calls on the federal government to halt any proposed reduction of sentences for serious offences through the criminal code of Canada, as prescribed in Bill C-22 introduced to the House of Commons in 2021.

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Mr. Keisig: — Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I’m very happy to be on my feet today and comment on the motion put forward by my very esteemed colleague, the member from Cut KnifeTurtleford. I want to put the motion into the record:

That this Assembly condemns the federal government’s targeting of law-abiding firearm owners in recent regulatory changes, and calls on the federal government to halt any proposed reduction of sentences for serious offences through the Criminal Code of Canada, as prescribed in Bill C-22 introduced to the House of Commons in 2021.

There are many flaws, Mr. Deputy Speaker, in the proposed legislative changes and we have to analyze them all in detail. Bill C-22 would reduce consequences for drug-related crimes, which could increase recidivism and overdoses. Reducing minimum sentences for trafficking, importing, and producing hard drugs is not a path forward for any society.

Across this country, Mr. Speaker, over 17,000 people passed away from opioid overdoses during the first six months of last year, and the people selling this product have to be held to account. Where’s the justice for families who are affected by this lifestyle? Why would we encourage a society with lesser penalties for criminals who put deadly substances into loved ones’ hands? Why is the federal government giving criminals a hall pass for producing, importing, and trafficking drugs? The federal government is shifting our nation into a very dangerous territory.

Bill C-22 would make all of our communities less safe by reducing penalties for firearms-related crimes, thereby reducing the incentive to follow the law. Bill C-22 could increase gang activity as well as providing shorter sentences to gang members, allowing them to be released earlier.

Bill C-21, Mr. Deputy Speaker, unfairly targets law-abiding firearms owners, while Bill C-22 decreases penalties for lawbreakers. The National Police Federation has publicly commented, Mr. Deputy Speaker, saying:

Costly and current legislation, such as the order in council prohibiting various firearms and the proposed buy-back program targeted at legal firearms owners, does not address these current and emerging themes or threats to public safety.

The head of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police said:

The firearm laws in Canada are actually very good right now. They are very strict. There are many law-abiding citizens out there who possess guns for very legitimate purposes. When you look at the steps you have to go through to possess a firearm in Canada, it’s actually quite rigorous. Once you get a licence, the actual purchasing, transportation, and storage, all of that has very strict laws in Canada.

I would also like to add, Mr. Deputy Speaker, that any elected official, whether provincial or federal, that is working on changing existing firearms legislation does his due diligence and takes the proper courses to acquire a possession and acquisition licence. Mr. Deputy Speaker, when a person takes the PAL [possession and acquisition licence] course, it provides legitimacy to all of their arguments moving forward.

I’m happy to put it on the record, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I am one of those individuals, along with well over 2 million other Canadians. When a person takes the PAL course, they are taught everything they need to know about how to safely handle and store a gun, for example ensuring firearms are unloaded when stored, ensuring that a person locks their firearm in a cabinet, stores ammunition separately, and ensures unauthorized individuals cannot access keys. An individual is taught everything from how to hold, shoot, and store firearms, yet the Trudeau government blames the people who took the proper steps to ensure that they could legally own a gun.

Mr. Speaker, in 2020, 85 per cent of handguns seized by Toronto police were smuggled into Canada from the United States. Lawabiding citizens are being targeted and treated as criminals while the real criminals are handed a lesser punishment. Criminals are allowed to go home to the same communities they committed a crime in, putting victims at risk of being revictimized. Victims should not have to worry about going about their day-to-day life because the federal government has decided that they no longer matter.

Imagine that, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Our self-proclaimed feminist Prime Minister is now telling female victims that the person who sexually assaulted them will be returning to their community. Bill C-22 could create situations where the victims of violent crimes are revictimized. We should be protecting victims, not the criminals. That is something every elected official should prioritize.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, I’d also like to take a moment and recognize our provincial Chief Firearms Officer, Robert Freberg. Robert does an excellent job representing Saskatchewan and promoting safe gun handling throughout the province. He has an extensive background in firearm safety and, like many Saskatchewan residents, is an avid hunter. With Robert’s high standards in firearm safety, I know that Saskatchewan will continue to strive for and enhance our gun safety education standards throughout the province. We are very lucky to have him.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, if I have a character weakness it is that I am very susceptible to a good advertising program. My favourite meal in a restaurant, Mr. Deputy Speaker, is breakfast. And when I’m reading the menu and they have rancher’s breakfast on there, well you can guarantee I’m going to order that. When the Ford trucks came out with their King Ranch edition, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I really wanted one of those trucks.

And years ago I was in a sporting goods store, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and they had a Ranch rifle on sale. And I thought to myself, I live on a ranch; I should own a Ranch rifle. So I purchased it, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and that rifle went everywhere with me. You know, particularly at this time of year during calving, I used it to protect my livestock. I used it to protect my outbuildings. And I used it to . . . You know, we went through so many years of flooding. And those wet years, Mr. Deputy Speaker, beavers were building dams and flooding out acres and acres of productive farm land, and you have to get rid of those pesky beavers.

But, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I followed all the rules. I followed all the laws. I did everything right. And on May 1st, 2020, Justin Trudeau turned me into a law-breaking citizen if I went about on my regular day. With absolutely no parliamentary oversight, his order in council turned thousands — thousands, Mr. Deputy Speaker — of law-abiding firearms owners like myself into criminals with a stroke of his pen.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, licensed firearm owners are inherently lawabiding. We are meticulous in understanding the rules and responsibilities of owning firearms, are incredibly diligent in following all the laws. Bill C-21 unfairly targets us, and Bill C-22 reduces sentences for gun-related crimes. It makes absolutely no sense, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

The most prominent problem law-abiding firearm owners face boils down to a very simple concept, Mr. Deputy Speaker: trust. Why would the government trust us one day — we follow all the rules; we pay all the taxes; we take all the courses; we do everything that’s asked of us — and the next day the government does not trust us? What have we done to lose the government’s trust? Why does Justin Trudeau not trust us?

Saskatchewan’s citizens have a long history of responsible firearm ownership, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Early settlers faced many hardships settling in this great province, and sustenance hunting was an early facet of many pioneers’ lives. As our province grew, many urban people kept a very strong connection to the land by enjoying many outdoor pursuits, and a large part of that involved hunting. Saskatchewan has the fifth-highest rate of firearms ownership across Canada, Mr. Deputy Speaker, compared to all the other provinces and territories. I’ve enjoyed many outdoor adventures with my two daughters, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and I know that is very common for many Saskatchewan families. Spending time outdoors provides many healthful opportunities, and firearms play an integral role in many of these activities, especially for anyone living in rural Saskatchewan.

In June of 2020, this government brought forward amendments to Bill 194 to further protect the rights of law-abiding firearms owners in this province. The amendments prevented the banning of firearms ownership at the municipal level. This government passed this legislation to ensure there’s only one set of firearm regulations for the province of Saskatchewan. We understand that firearm regulations are under federal jurisdiction, but this government is relentless in standing up for all Saskatchewan citizens’ interests.

A core principle, Mr. Deputy Speaker, that all firearms owners possess, it’s a very simple concept. It’s the concept of personal responsibility. It’s ingrained in all the mandatory training courses that you have to take, and all law-abiding firearm owners genuinely live and breathe that concept.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Bill C-22 and C-21 will not make our society safer. It will not prevent criminals from plying their trade. It creates a gulf in our communities when governments attempt to discredit a large segment of their population. This government supports all law-abiding firearms owners, and that will never change.

Seeing as I have some extra time on the clock, Mr. Deputy Speaker . . . No, I’m going to . . . just rearranging my notes, Mr. Deputy Speaker . . . [inaudible interjection] . . . Absolutely. Seven more minutes?

An Hon. Member: — Just flip it over. It’s the other side.

Mr. Keisig: — Yeah, well I could do that. Yeah, you know, people don’t realize the amount of stress that we were under during those wet years. Like you can’t even imagine the amount of damage that a rodent can do to your property and how important it is to remove such a thing. The amount of acres and flooded . . . and destruction they can do. They are an ingenious animal and relentless in their work ethic. And you know, the only way that you can successfully remove them from your property is with the proper use of a firearm. And it was a very common occurrence, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

You know, it’s really funny how children raised by the same parents in the same households are two totally different people. Like my one daughter . . . We spent hours. And she was an avid hunter. And you know, we really enjoyed it. And I made sure both of my daughters knew how to shoot a firearm and how to safely manage them and clean them and store them and everything else.

But I had one daughter, Mr. Deputy Speaker, she hated them. She did not like them. She is currently enrolled in Vermilion at veterinary technologist and she absolutely loves animals and will . . . Like it’s abhorrent to her to hurt any living creature.

My other daughter, Mr. Deputy Speaker, she is borderline ruthless. Like I give her credit. I mean she is tough as nails, and she’s shot like a far better buck than I’ve ever got in my lifetime, Mr. Deputy Speaker. And it was literally a hundred yards from our house. Like it was kind of a fluke shot, I thought, but she said she knew that she was going to get it. But anyway, it was a beautiful buck. We got it mounted. It hangs in our house and she should be very proud of that because that is a tremendous accomplishment at a very, very young age.

And you know, the rural municipalities in conjunction with this provincial government had a bounty on beaver and that was an extremely effective tool on reducing that population. And my older daughter and I, we would spend hours. And she was always wanting a car or wanting this and that, and she got thousands and thousands of dollars at $30 a tail. You can do the math on that, Mr. Deputy Speaker. She definitely put the hours and the effort into it.

And I mean, during those wet years, honestly, it really wasn’t that hard. Like every slough was overflowed and there was 30 beavers in every slough. Like it was just tremendous how the population can explode in such a short time. And the damage that they do to rural Saskatchewan is just tremendous. The plugged culverts.

You know, the rural municipality had a bounty in conjunction with the provincial government. It was a very effective tool, very well received by ratepayers. It was incredibly effective. It was such a common activity for every, you know, late teenager, young person, I guess, across the constituency. They would spend, you know, virtually every evening. That’s when you’ve got to go out, is when the sun’s starting to set and just before dark and the beavers are active. And you can get very, very . . . You know, they’re out and about. They’re out of their houses and you can get them all.

So it was a very common activity for young people and very healthy. Outside, spending time with their friends and doing something for the greater good of the community. I mean the amount of damage from plugged culverts was just unbelievable. And the amount that we saved on infrastructure from a government’s point of view of, you know, basically hiring all these young people to handle this situation was, you know, really remarkable piece of government legislation in conjunction with the good work of the people at SARM [Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities] and the good people of all the rural municipalities. And how everything flowed together during those years was just, you know, very coordinated in a way, Mr. Deputy Speaker, that the outcomes were so efficient and everything else.

The drought last year was very challenging, but I don’t know. Those wet years are just absolutely ingrained in my mind, and you know, I’ll probably never forget them. You know, the member from Saskatoon Wildwood talking about feral pigs. I got a half section of land . . . Well I used to have a half section of land, Mr. Deputy Speaker. It was Crown land and it was old, kind of, Land Bank land. And there was an application process that you used to apply. And anyway, it was pasture land so I applied and I got it, and I had it for quite a few years. And it was like very, extremely low-quality land, Mr. Deputy Speaker, a lot of bush and everything else. I used it for oh, probably 10 years. We grazed cattle there and everything else. And a large group of feral pigs moved into that very native prairie land, and just tremendous amount of damage, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

And you know, when you’re on a ranch, you’re checking cows; you always keep a rifle with you. I talked about my favourite Ranch rifle. And we had always had that with us. But you could never spot those feral pigs, Mr. Deputy Speaker. They were incredibly hard to catch and they’re always breeding. They’re always making more of them and it’s . . . I don’t know. You have to be a far better hunter than I am, Mr. Deputy Speaker, to get a chance at one of those.

So I know our Minister of Environment is doing his due diligence and working very hard at trying to handle the feral pig situation. It’s top of mind for government. We are always concerned about the amount of damage because it’s absolutely incredible the amount of damage that they can do, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

So there’s many challenges going forward, but seeing as we are almost out of time, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I would really like to move to adjourn debate at this point in time. And thank you for listening, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

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