REGINA – Pro-gun groups want an independent royal commission to look into the federal government’s gun control proposals.
The call for an inquiry came at the end of a recent two-day meeting in Regina of gun-owner groups from across Canada. They don’t like justice minister Allan Rock’s gun law proposals, which would force gun owners to register all firearms and would ban certain handguns.
“It is incumbent upon the government to prove to all Canadians that its proposed new legislation is a solution to violence and crime in Canada,” said Zena Putnam, of the Saskatchewan Responsible Firearm Owners Association.
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Saskatchewan justice minister Bob Mitchell said he agreed with requests for a royal commission.
Different tactic
While gun lobby representatives said they would increase political pressure on Rock, they shied away from earlier suggestions they might turn the financial screws on the government.
Ed Begin, of the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation, recently said firearm owners might dump Canada savings bonds and convince American hunters to stay out of Canada this year as a way of protesting the proposed firearm restrictions.
Garry Mauser, of the British Columbia Wildlife Federation said: “we haven’t made any decisions about savings bonds,” but “we are considering all sorts of things.”
