Ivan Radic / CC
Whitehorse, YT – In response to the Federal Government’s Bill C-21 and the gun ‘buy back’ program the Yukon Party issued calls for the territorial Government to work on both a Yukon Firearms Act and introduce a territorially appointed Chief Firearms Officer which is something the Premier says he’s already interested in.
The opposition says both pieces of federal legislation unfairly target law-abiding gun owners and see the proposed actions as being key in protecting their rights.
“It is a confiscation of firearms from innocent people who acquired their private property lawfully,” said Brad Cathers, the Yukon Party Justice Critic. “It is both unjust and will do nothing to address the real causes of gun violence.”
Cathers stressed that the primary source of gun violence stems from illegally purchased and owned firearms, many of which enter Canada through the United States, and that these policies unfairly target legal gun owners.
The Justice critic says the Firearms Act should follow similar firearms legislation in Alberta and Saskatchewan, emphasizing the need for local control over firearms-related decisions.
“We’re calling for the government to take action to protect the rights of innocent firearms owners by developing a Yukon Firearms Act,” said Cathers. “This legislation should be based on models from Alberta and Saskatchewan but tailored to meet Yukon’s unique needs.”
He went on to state that the Yukon Government should take steps to collaborate with local stakeholders including First Nations, firearms associations, the Yukon Fish and Game Association, and the general public to better tailor potential legislation to the needs of local gun owners.
In a response from the Yukon Government’s Cabinet Communications, they highlighted that Premier Pillai is a gun owner and hunter and has been voicing concerns with the Federal Government over Bill C-21 since he took the leadership position in early 2023.
They also provided a letter that Premier Pillai had sent to Federal Minister of Public Safety Dominic Leblanc regarding his interest in setting up a territorially appointed Chief Firearms Officer.
In that letter to Minister Leblanc, the Premier says “From the Government of Yukon’s perspective, the service provided by the Chief Firearms Officer based in British Columbia has worked well to date. However, we would be interested to explore the potential benefits of a Chief Firearms Officer resident in the territory.”
