The Liberals’ gun buyback program needs to go away, Sudbury East – Manitoulin – Nickel Belt Conservative MP Jim Bélanger argues in a media release his office issued this week.
“The government’s approach fails to address the real source of rising gun violence in Canada: illegal firearms being smuggled across our border from the United States,” Bélanger said in the media release. “Instead, the government is targeting law-abiding firearms owners.”
Despite carrying a cost of approximately $742 million (the program’s cap), Bélanger argues that it “does little to deter criminal activity and unfairly impacts hunters, sport shooters and rural residents who use firearms responsibly.”
His media release notes that violent crime has jumped by 55 per cent since 2015 and gun violence has increased by 130 per cent, which Bélanger said is indicative of the Liberals missing the mark.
“In Northern Ontario, hunting is not just a hobby; it’s a way of life,” Bélanger said in the media release.
“Families depend on the fall hunt to put food on the table, and hunt camps are a cherished tradition that bring generations together.”
Prohibiting certain firearms is of concern for hunters, particular in Indigenous communities across the Greater Sudbury region, Bélanger said.
He flags the proposed banning of Russian-designed SKS rifles as being of particular concern, describing them as “a widely used and affordable tool for hunting and subsistence activities.”
Public Safety Canada’s Expert Advisory Panel on Firearms describes the SKS rifle as a “semi-automatic military service firearm.”
These firearms “entered the Canadian market in large numbers in the 1990s after the fall of communist governments,” according to Public Safety Canada. “Many Indigenous harvesters adopted the non-restricted SKS because it was robust, cheap to purchase, and fired inexpensive ammunition.”
“I strongly oppose this scheme and will continue to fight against this unjust attack on law-abiding firearms owners in Northern Ontario,” Bélanger said. “This program must be scrapped.”