New Chair, Members Named to Canadian Firearms Advisory Committee

TheGunBlog.ca — The Canadian government replaced the chair of its Firearms Advisory Committee and named two new members as it prepares gun bans and other restrictions against hunters, farmers and sport shooters.

Wallace Oppal joined the group today as the new chair to replace John Major, Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale said today in a statement via Cision. Goodale also appointed Christine Creyke as the committee’s 11th member.

Ban, Prohibit, Restrict

Goodale proposed Bill C-71 last March as a new law to prohibit and eventually seize rifles from thousands of men and women with gun licences. If passed, it will also make it easier for the federal police to ban any other model, and make it harder for shooters to buy, sell, own and transport firearms. The bill is being reviewed by the Senate and will probably take effect before October’s election.

The government, which is also considering new bans for guns and home-firearm storage, didn’t seek the advice of the advisory committee on the legislation.

“The Canadian Firearms Advisory Committee provides common sense advice to help improve Canada’s firearms policies,” Goodale said in the statement.

British Columbia

Oppal is a former attorney general of British Columbia, minister for multiculturalism, and served on the B.C. Supreme Court from 1985 to 2003, the statement said. Creyke works with hunters as the Lands Director for the Tahltan Central Government in B.C.

“Wallace Oppal and Christine Creyke add invaluable experience and expertise to this important work, and will help inform new measures to make our country less vulnerable to the scourge of gun violence, while being fair to responsible, law-abiding firearms owners and businesses,” Goodale said in the statement.

Major, Kiejko

He didn’t mention Major or say why the former Supreme Court justice is no longer a committee member.

The Canadian Firearms Advisory Committee had its fifth meeting today since it was overhauled in 2017 by the Liberal Party-led government.

Lynda Kiejko, an Olympic pistol shooter, is one of two co-chairs.

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