Reject Bill C-21 firearms ban
Petitioners ask the House to reject Bill C-21, stop bans on hunting rifles (including Weatherby bolt actions), and protect hunters' property rights. The government responds it is strengthening firearms controls while providing amnesty and compensation.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would preserve hunters' property rights and keep legally owned hunting firearms available for sport and subsistence.
- It prevents specific bans on hunting models named in the petition, such as Weatherby bolt‑action rifles.
- It avoids expanding prohibitions that could affect law‑abiding owners and the cultural practice of hunting.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- The government aims to reduce firearm violence through stricter controls, so opposing C‑21 may weaken public‑safety measures.
- An amnesty and compensation program may mitigate impacts; supporting the petition risks foregoing those remedies.
- Targeted prohibitions and enhanced enforcement can remove high‑risk weapons while balancing owners' rights; alternatives exist.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following: Whereas: Hunting and firearm ownership play an integral role in Canadian history and culture; Many new Canadians love to participate in this heritage of hunting; With amendments to Bill C-21, the Liberals are seeking to ban many different hunting rifles and shotguns; Weatherby bolt action rifles are being banned; and With their legislation, the Liberals are betraying hunters. Therefore we, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons to: 1) Leave our guns alone; 2) Vote against Bill C-21; and 3) Defend and safeguard the property rights of Canadian hunters.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Public Safety Signed by JACQUES RAMSAY, PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY Canadians deserve to be safe in their communities. That is why the Government of Canada is taking a comprehensive approach to strengthen firearms control and address firearm-related violence. This includes amendments through former Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms), to increase maximum criminal penalties for firearms trafficking and smuggling, enhance investigative authorities, address ghost guns and reduce risks associated with firearms violence in situations of intimate partner, gender-based and family violence. And, since 2016, the Government of Canada has invested over $1.4 billion in targeted initiatives, including over $560 million to equip the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Border Services Agency with advanced tools to detect smuggled firearms and firearms parts and funding to help communities prevent gun and gang violence through prevention programming. This comprehensive approach also includes addressing assault-style firearms used in the worst tragedies in our country’s history. To do so, former Bill-C21 prohibited firearms designed and manufactured on or after December 15, 2023, and that meet specific technical criteria (i.e., a firearm that: is not a handgun, discharges centre-fire ammunition in a semi-automatic manner, and was originally designed with a detachable cartridge magazine with a capacity of six cartridges or more). This ensures that new firearms that exceed safe civilian use are not introduced into our communities. In addition, over 2,500 makes and models of assault-style firearms previously in the Canadian market have been prohibited. An amnesty period is in place to protect affected owners who were in lawful possession of those firearms on the day they were prohibited and continue to hold a valid firearms licence while they take steps to comply with the law. To ease the impact on law-abiding Canadians, the Government is committed to implementing the Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program. This will help ensure that these prohibited firearms are safely and securely removed from our communities, and that those who participate are compensated for their contribution to public safety. With these initiatives, the Government continues to take concrete steps to make Canada less vulnerable to firearms violence while being fair to responsible firearms owners and businesses.