Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise today on behalf of the Ordinary Members' Caucus to speak on an issue that touches us all in the territories. That issue is the proposed legislation relating to gun control. Madam Speaker, the federal government may pass legislation that would require all firearms, including long arms, to be registered. Presently, legislation requires that only restricted weapons must be registered. This proposed initiative, Madam Speaker, could result in significant increases in the administration and enforcement costs.
In the NWT, firearms are used as a tool to support traditional lifestyles of our people. In the Northwest Territories, people use firearms to provide income as well as protection from animals. This legislation, Madam Speaker, would place unnecessary control on the people of the north, as well as present enforcement problems.
Each community could require an enforcement officer to execute this legislation. But this is not all, Madam Speaker. The federal government is also proposing a restriction on ammunition purchases. The intention is to control the sales of ammunition by requiring a firearm acquisition permit to purchase it. The lifestyle of the north provides for fathers, sons, uncles and brothers to hunt together. It is a way of life, Madam Speaker. To limit access to ammunition in this way would pose unnecessary restrictions on our way of life.
Our federal Minister, Mr. Rock, may believe that a mandatory universal registration of firearms in Canada will make it a safer place. Members of the Ordinary Members' Caucus fully support safe use of firearms. We appreciate the Minister travelling to the north to better understand how we use firearms as a part of our traditional lifestyle.
We hope, in preparing legislation, the Minister will acknowledge our unique situation and provide exemptions or other mechanisms which will provide legislation that is practical, safe and realistic in the northern environment. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
---Applause