Bobbi Ann Brady, MMP
Brady pushes the Solicitor General to say
NO to Trudeau’s gun buyback
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 29, 2022
Queen’s Park—Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Bobbi Ann Brady today stood in the Ontario Legislature and asked Solicitor General Michael Kerzner if he will say “no” to using Ontario police resources to enforce the federal gun buyback.
“Minister, I come from a riding with a great deal of hunters, target shooters and gun collectors. But I want to make it clear that these are not the folks shooting up cities—gangs and organized crime are largely responsible for that.”
Brady said that on October 27, she wrote to the Solicitor General asking if Ontario will be joining the prairie provinces, New Brunswick and the Yukon in saying no to Justin Trudeau’s gun buyback. To date, she has not received an answer.
“…I’ve read what the federal government is proposing. It’s not worth the paper it’s written on, and it certainly will not curb gun violence or crime. I know talking about guns makes some of you uncomfortable, and I’m sure some of you will peg me as some sort of gun-toting Beth Dutton; I’m not, which makes me more credible: I have no interest to protect here. In fact, if an idea was brought forward that would save lives, I’d be the first to stand in my place and vote in favour to help. Until then, we all need to exercise common sense,” Brady continued.
The Solicitor General stopped short of committing to not using valuable police resources on enforcing C21, but he did emphasize twice that law-abiding gun owners are not to blame for the rash of gang- and drug-related shootings.
MPP Brady emphasized that it’s a police resources issue not a firearms issue. If police partake in the buyback, it will remove them from our streets, put more power into the hands of criminals, and as a result, there will be fewer police to investigate domestic violence, homicides and gangs and smuggling.
“Feel-good headlines on the six o’clock news never translate into good public policy, and in this case it gives the people of Ontario a false sense of security at their very large expense,” the local MPP continued.
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For more information, contact MPP Bobbi Ann Brady at babrady-co@ola.org or 519-428-0446
Youtube video:
ONTARIO LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
DRAFT HANSARD
NOVEMBER 29TH, 2022
FIREARMS CONTROL
Ms. Bobbi Ann Brady: My question is to the Solicitor General. Minister, I come from a riding with a great deal of hunters, target shooters and gun collectors. But I want to it clear that these are not the folks shooting up cities; gangs and organized crime are largely responsible for that.
On October 27, I wrote to you asking if Ontario will be joining the prairie provinces, New Brunswick and the Yukon in saying no to Justin Trudeau’s gun buyback. I haven’t received an answer yet.
Speaker, I’ve read what the federal government is proposing. It’s not worth the paper it’s written on, and it certainly will not curb gun violence or crime. I know talking about guns makes some of you uncomfortable, and I’m sure some of you will peg me as some sort of gun-toting Beth Dutton; I’m not, which makes me more credible: I have no interest to protect here. In fact, if an idea was brought forward that would save lives, I’d be the first to stand in my place and vote in favour to help—to help those students like my colleague from Scarborough–Guildwood mentioned earlier this morning. Until then, we all need to exercise common sense.
Speaker, to the minister: Will you be saying no to committing Ontario police resources to assist in the federal gun buyback?
Hon. Michael S. Kerzner: Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for the question. The problem is not with legal gun owners. And to be clear, those who possess illegal guns will not be participating in the C-21 program. This is obvious. That’s why we’re treating combatting gun and gang violence as a priority. But we’re telling our federal government to step it up at the border, because this is a priority.
I did just that when I attended in Halifax at the federal-provincial-territorial meeting, and I will continue to press the federal government: Step it up at the border. This is important now, and we have to keep Ontario safe, because we know that almost every gun that is used in an illegal activity in Ontario is coming from across the border.
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question?
(Hon. Michael Kerzner)
… activity in Ontario is coming from across the border.
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): And the supplementary question.
Ms. Bobbi Ann Brady: Thank you to the minister; I’m not sure though if that was a yes or no.
I’d like to remind the minister that, from a provincial perspective, this is a policing resources issues, not a firearms issue. And I’m glad to hear you say it’s not legal gun owners who are the problems.
Speaker, participating in the buyback will remove police from our streets, which will put more power into the hands of criminals. There will be fewer police to investigate domestic violence, homicides and even the real problem of gangs and smuggling.
Feel-good headlines on the 6:00 news never translate into good public policy, and in this case it gives the people of Ontario a false sense of security at their very large expense.
I am happy to hear that you want to push the feds to stop the smuggling of illegal weapons into Ontario and join Toronto mayor John Tory in his call for tougher bail reform.
Four other provinces and one territory agree with me. Speaker, to the Solicitor General: I like what you’re saying, but are you saying “no” to Justin Trudeau’s gun buyback?
The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’ll remind members to make their comments through the Chair.
Hon. Michael S. Kerzner: Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for the question, and I’ll just repeat again: The problem is not with the legal gun owners. And to be clear, those who possess illegal guns will not be surrendering their guns as part of this program.
I’ve seen for myself when I toured at the border with the member from Sarnia–Lambton at the St. Clair River. I saw exactly where the drones came in with the illegal guns. And I went with the member from Sault Ste. Marie to his border, and I saw the proximity between the US and the Ontario border.
The federal government must do more. Our message won’t change. We are telling the federal government: Step it up—less talk and more action.
