432-01130 (Justice)

WHEREAS

• The federal government has introduced Bill C-21, which includes sections prohibiting the majority of replica firearms, such as Airsoft guns, and embedding in legislation Order in Council P.C. 2020-298 of May 1, 2020 which prohibits and limits the possession of firearms listed therein;

• Bill C-21 will criminalize hundreds of thousands of law-abiding Canadians for possessing legally obtained firearms;

• Bill C-21 will financially devastate thousands of Canadians reliant on the sale of firearms for all or part of their income;

• Hunting has a longstanding history in Canada, for both Indigenous and non-indigenous Canadians, and needlessly revoking citizens' firearms erases and discounts our history and traditions;

• The vast majority of gun crimes are committed with illegally obtained firearms, and confiscating firearms from law abiding citizens does nothing to stop dangerous criminals and gangs who obtain their guns illegally;

THEREFORE:

We, the undersigned citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to stop targeting law abiding citizens for possessing legally obtained firearms, to protect the rights and freedoms of Canadians by ensuring firearms legislation is based on evidence not ideology, and to withdraw Bill C-21.