Security. We are meeting on the traditional territory of the algonquin cape. Todays meeting is in a hybrid performance format. Members are attending in person and remotely using the zoom application. The second hour to answer questions from members. I welcome you all and i now invite mr. Mendicino to make an opening statement. Thank you, mr. Chair. , id like to thank the members of the committee with the good work they have done with respect to bill c21. I am accompanied by my team from the stewart, the deputy minister, and others. We have chief Deputy Commissioner kelly larkin and the commissioner. The scourge of gun violence which has been impacting our country for many years. Signaled to this committee that it is up to us as parliamentarians to Work Together to reverse the Alarming Trends that have seen increases in gun violence, specifically handgun violence. It is up to this committee not only to study carefully tangible laws which are designed with the intent of reversing those trends. But to also discuss efforts were taking to stop illegal trafficking of guns at our borders. It is up to the members of the committee to support the work of parliament in examining the root causes of gun crime. Which requires to work very closely with many partners, including grassroots organizations so we can stop gun crime before it starts. I look to you and the various perspectives you will be bringing from your own constituencies to have thoughtful discussion about that today. It is clear, wherever you sit, regardless of the side of the aisle or partisan strength, that the status quo will do wont do. Every time i meet someone who has dealt with the loss of a club one, or has been harmed by violence, we await to them to do more. These are the hardest conversations i have in my capacity as a member of parliament. Ive had the privilege of speaking with the families of victims from truro and the quebec city boss, the polytechnique, and danforth, my hometown. There is not a day that i dont think about them. Not a single day. It is a singular motivation for me in this job to try and find a way to ensure those tragedies dont occur again. And it is a conflict problem. There are no easy or Simple Solutions to eradicating gun crime, i readily acknowledge that. But from where i sit, and where the government sits, we need a comprehensive strategy. That strategy is composed of a number of pillars, one, smart locks. Assault rifles have no place in our communities. That is why we banned them two years ago, and are in the throes of implementing the Buyback Program which will get assault style rifles out of our communities. We need smart laws like bill c21 which will introduce a National Handgun freeze, which will introduce yellow and red flag protocols to reverse the trend and connection between Domestic Violence and genderbased violence in the presence of guns, which has gone up in the last couple of years. We need a bill that will provide additional tools to fight organized crime. One of the things bill c21 will do is increase maximum sentences from 10 to 14 years for hardened criminals who try to terrorize communities with guns, as well as providing additional surveillance tools to Law Enforcement so we can interdict individuals trying to traffic guns. This bill does all that. It also ensures we deal with the challenges around straw purchasing, so that criminals can be stopped from trying to use alternate individuals to purchase guns lawfully, and have them transferred to them. And there is much more in there. I know we are going to date into some other substantive issues, but it is important we studied this bill. Important that we take steps necessary to stop the growth of guns and handguns, which is the number one type of gun used in homicides in the country. Thats not all were doing. I have said on many occasions at this committee, in the house of commons, in public, that this government is invested in enforcing our borders. Over the past year, we have spent over 321 million to enhance our borders. This is an investment that gives the rcmp and Border Services agency more tools. We work with our american partners. We have good cooperation. I know this is a challenge. Despite all the progress we have achieved at the borders, we have to do even more. And im always ready to work with all colleagues at this committee and in the house to come up with concrete solutions to achieve greater progress of the border. Finally, we have to put an end to firearms related violence. Thats why our Building Safer Communities Fund is such an important opportunity to work with local organizations. To tap into their experience, to identify where the risks are. To identify where those who are most exposed and can be exploited by organized crime and other elements to make the right choices instead. And we are accelerating the rollout of that fund, as weve been doing the last months, which i think will help round out a strategy that has to become rancid. Once again, i want to thank all the members of this committee for their thoughtfulness and work. I look forward to reading and studying this bill, and hopefully passing this bill as quickly as possible so we can stop gun violence once and for all. Merci. We will proceed directly to questions at this point. Please go ahead, six minutes. Thank you for being here today. Minister, Police Forces, im hearing they are stretched quite thin, are you hearing the same thing . Thank you, there is no doubt we need to support domestic Law Enforcement. Thats one of the reasons why sorry, what im asking is, Police Forces are stretched thin, they are having challenges keeping up with crime. Do you agree . I was trying to answer, and i think i am being responsive to your question, which is i acknowledge we need to support domestic Law Enforcement which is what we are doing through our antigangs fund. Those resources filter through to Domestic Police and will continue to do that. So yes, you would agree resources are stretched t in. I am alarmed, which is why we cannot accept the status quo. There were one hunt of 24,000 additional Violent Crimes last year, are you familiar with that as well . I am, which is why we presented bill c21. The vast majority of crimes are committed by criminals with firearms, do you agree . Which is why we invested 321 million since last year and seized a Record Number of guns of the border. The liberal platforms stated your confiscation regime which cost 400 million dollars, thats considerably more money than you are investing in Additional Border protection. I would begin by saying assault style rifles have no place in our communities, which is why we want to implement a Buyback Program. Will you be spending 400 to 600 million, thats more than you have invested in recent years, also more than your Community Fund . First, we plan to be very transparent around the cost of the Buyback Program. I want to be clear to you and all members, that there is no way to put a price on a life lost. All you have to do is look into the eyes of any of the families that has lost somebody to a assault style rifle. We are seeing a rise of violence in cities. You are investing considerably less money in border enforcement, and community protection, although you acknowledge that is the primary source of gun violence in our country. I am a firearm owner. We undergo rigorous licensing processes, would you agree . We do. I respect law abiding gun owners. You may be familiar with the long gun registry from the 90s, it ended up costing 1. 2 billion. The estimate that they may be spending 400 to 600 million, our estimate is up to 5 billion. You didnt mean 500 billion . You never know. There is considerable questions to be had about how much you are spending on the confiscation regime. Im concerned your government will be redirecting Police Resources which we have outlined, are stretched fan. Thin. You are planning to redirect rpmc and possibly other resources to your confiscation regime. That is based on false assumptions. If i can be permitted to answer your question, ensuring that Police Services who operate within promotional boundaries have the resources necessary to enforce laws is not conducive to buying back assault style rifles. Those guns were designed with one purpose, and that is to kill. We believe taking them out of our communities i would urge you to reconsider redirecting Police Resources. It will further endanger our community. We respectfully disagree. Mr. Mohamed, please go ahead, six minutes. Thank you for being here today. Minister, i want to thank you for bringing this bill forward. Our job is to take legislation and make it better. What id love to be able to do is id love to know if you are open to strengthening the legislation in front of us to think about ghost guns, how we can prevent this from becoming an larger problem. We may be dealing with a problem that looks a certain way, but this is a problem we will be facing five years from now and can we think about that were meaningfully . Through the chair you, i would say your question is an important one. That is dealing with the advent of ghost guns, which is based on new, cheap plastic technology. In visiting your community and having met with both the mayor as well as the police chief, they have both identified the proliferation of ghost guns as an important priority to deal with. I should tell you that i have had the chance to meet with our american counterparts, including at the fbi headquarters at quantico, where i have seen this technology firsthand on display. And it is imperative that you study this issue. I believe it is one of the things that were going to need to tackle not only legislatively, but with Additional Resources. Thats why the investments we have put at the border, including 300 21 million since last year alone, is equipping rcmp and other Law Enforcement partners with technology they need to intercept and detect this new type of ghost gun, so we can stop it before it gets into our communitys. The short answer is, im always open to receiving any recommendations you or others may have with regards to strengthening the bell. Just digging in further, talking about component parts, one of the elements we will hopefully digging into is, how do we think about regular the manufacture of component parts, is this something you would consider in the deliberations . I know that splitting up the different components of a gun is one of the Ways Organized crime attempts to subvert detection method border, or other places within our communities. And that it is one of the more technical aspects of the bill that you may wish to study, and put forward in the form of a recommendation. Our overarching objective remains to stop gun violence, that means taking a look at various ways and innovative technologies, including through ghost guns, the different components that can be assembled that meet the definition of a prohibited or unrestricted firearm, so we can keep communities safe. Lets switch gears, there are those that are opposed to legislation using airsoft guns because of a lack of understanding of this sport. There are those that would try to convince the government that airsoft guns kill people. I would submit that they dont, but they can get people killed. In a situation where someone has an airsoft gun that looks particularly dangerous, Law Enforcement may respond as though that is a weapon carrying a life around. What im struggling with is we have those that are supporters of the airsoft sport, but dont want to be in positions where they can get people killed. Do you see a way that Law Enforcement are not put in the situation of having to make a splitsecond decision when they see something that looks like an assault rifle, which is actually an airsoft gun. I look forward to the committeess work on the issue of how do we tackle what has been identified as a challenge by Law Enforcement around the industrys ability to make airsoft guns look increasingly exactly like a program. There are those at this Table Including the now Deputy Commissioner barking who could probably give additional testimony to that effect. But the object is really to be sure, not that people can participate safely in an industry, but rather that one Law Enforcement response to a gun call, that were sure there is no loss of life as a result of a gun which may look exactly like a real gun. This is something that has occurred where we have seen loss of life including in my hometown of scarborough, where Police Showed up and a replica gun was mistaken for a real one and said late someone lost their life. That is the intent, and i know the committee will be studying them closely. You have six minutes. Thank you, mr. Chair. Welcome, minister. Thank you for coming here. I have several questions. You know there is a huge problem in canadian major cities, montreal, quebec city, and others. We often talk about this issue. C21 deals with the trafficking of firearms and smuggling, but you are basing this on one measure, that is, you are going to increase the maximum fines, but im not sure that in concrete terms at the border this will make a difference. We know there are many illegal firearms that come through our border, dont you think we need to take a more concrete measure in c21 to deal with the specific problem . I like to thank you for the leadership you have shown on this issue. We both share the same concerns about these issues. There is too much loss of life. Its enough, i totally agree with you on that. As for your question about what were doing at the border, i think there are a few different aspects to our strategy. First of all, resources, we have to continue hiring people because they work on the first line, and the proof of this is that last year we received a Record Number of firearms. Thats progress but we have to go even further. The second effect is that we have to work in close cooperation, not only with quebec, but with the united states. I have discussed this issue with the secretary of the americas to enhance the level of cooperation, information sharing and intelligence. Thats important, so i do understand that we are intercepting more and more firearms, look what happened in 2021. I believe there were 2008 firearms that were transported, he received a fiveyear prison sentence, and now he has been released. So, do you think this specific measurable prevent the smuggler from going ahead and doing this, because were not going to use hardened criminals to smuggle, we are going to take someone who doesnt have a criminal record. Maybe someone who has only committed a few minor crimes, and we choose these people, do you think this measure is really going to discourage someone from smuggling illegal firearms across the border. There are some Good Measures in this bill, you are giving more authority to the department of immigration. But what about assault weapons . You have taken some measures there. In may 2020, you dealt with assault weapons. But then other types of weapons have come on to the market that worked on this list. Why not use c21 to really deal with this particular issue . You packed a lot in your question, but with respect to the assault weapons, thats why we are dedicated to implementing a Buyback Program to get this type of firearm away from our communities. Secondly, i agree, in the context with respect to the tools available under c21, even the stricter sentences, in isolation, that in itself wont do anything. We have to implement a full range of tools, at the same time, to send a very clear strong message to all organized criminals, and c21 will do this. We have more severe sentences, surveillance tools, other authorities will get involved. Not only in my department but other Police Departments as well. Put a halted to these people who want to terrorize our community. You want us to adopt this bill very quickly. In 2019, before i was elected, you adopted through order and decree some measures such as the one in may 2021, in this bill, are there any elements that will be implement it through regulation . The requirement for licenses for importing ammunition, do you think you are going to go ahead more quickly with, pardon me, minister, you have to answer in a few seconds. The answer is yes and i can give you examples after the meeting. Thank you, six minutes, please. Thank you, mr. Chair, welcome back, minister, good to see you here. I want to continue on the subject of airsoft. I had a great summer consulting with constituents, and got to visit the victoria fish and game protection association. I got to be a referee during a match. The people involved in the sport love what they do. It is a growing sport with all sorts of demographics. They are concerned with how c21 is written, and i know your department has received a lot of correspondence. When you introduced this version of c21, your backgrounder stated current owners will be allowed to keep the ones they already own. They cannot transfer to another person. Manufacturers will be able to sell but they have to adjust the design. And your government will consult with industry and Law Enforcement how to implement the law. The backgrounder stating current owners will be allowed to keep the ones they already own, but how is that possible with the current wording, because according to the library of parliaments read of the bill, it will effectively make them prohibited devices. There is a bit of a disconnect. As a followup, what kind of consultations have you had with the industry . First, thank you for your advocacy on the issue. I appreciate, you have been speaking with the industry and responsi