The president of the National Firearms Association says the Conservative government offered to make changes to its gun licensing bill if the NFA held its fire on the controversial bill C-51, then reneged on the agreement.
Sheldon Clare, who is running as an Independent candidate in British Columbia’s Cariboo–Prince George riding, posted the details of the alleged arrangement to quell dissent about C-51 on his Facebook page Monday. Clare said the NFA’s opposition to C-51, which became law in June, was well known, and that there were “great legal minds” already arguing for changes. But the organization also decided to cancel its committee appearance to discuss C-51 because the government offered to make changes to C-42, another bill that worried the NFA.
“We had been promised that the CPC would give us the four amendments that we sought on C-42 [a bill making changes to firearms licensing] if we didn’t go to that hearing. We were asked not to be used by the NDP as a stick to beat up the CPC,” he wrote on Facebook.
The NFA agreed, Clare wrote, but soon felt betrayed when the Conservatives didn’t invite the organization to present its amendments on C-42, which streamlined gun licensing and provided a six-month grace period for lapsed licenses. C-42 also brought in mandatory gun prohibitions for violent offenders and domestic assaults.
“In short, we were lied to by the Conservatives about that deal,” Clare wrote, naming Mark Johnson, the director of parliamentary affairs in Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney’s office.
Clare says Kory Teneycke, the party spokesman travelling with Conservative Leader Stephen Harper, confirmed to him personally that the “NFA had been played, and that the government saw no need to honour its commitment on C-42 to us.”
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C-51 dissent by gun group quieted under Conservative deal
Sheldon Clare, who is running as an Independent candidate in British Columbia’s Cariboo–Prince George riding, posted the details of the alleged arrangement to quell dissent about C-51 on his Facebook page Monday. Clare said the NFA’s opposition to C-51, which became law in June, was well known, and that there were “great legal minds” already arguing for changes. But the organization also decided to cancel its committee appearance to discuss C-51 because the government offered to make changes to C-42, another bill that worried the NFA.
“We had been promised that the CPC would give us the four amendments that we sought on C-42 [a bill making changes to firearms licensing] if we didn’t go to that hearing. We were asked not to be used by the NDP as a stick to beat up the CPC,” he wrote on Facebook.
The NFA agreed, Clare wrote, but soon felt betrayed when the Conservatives didn’t invite the organization to present its amendments on C-42, which streamlined gun licensing and provided a six-month grace period for lapsed licenses. C-42 also brought in mandatory gun prohibitions for violent offenders and domestic assaults.
“In short, we were lied to by the Conservatives about that deal,” Clare wrote, naming Mark Johnson, the director of parliamentary affairs in Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney’s office.
Clare says Kory Teneycke, the party spokesman travelling with Conservative Leader Stephen Harper, confirmed to him personally that the “NFA had been played, and that the government saw no need to honour its commitment on C-42 to us.”
more
C-51 dissent by gun group quieted under Conservative deal