Thank you. The comments that Members like Mr. Pudlat are making will be shared with the federal Minister next week. We'll be taking clips from the Hansard to demonstrate to him the extent to which this particular issue is causing concern. There is absolutely no doubt that the hunters and trappers, for instance in my constituency, who are unilingual are being discriminated against. Because they are unilingual, they will not be able to acquire a firearms acquisition certificate. They don't qualify to take this course at this time. There is no initiative right now to translate this course into Inuktitut or any other aboriginal language, or to train any instructors to teach this course in an aboriginal language.
The very people who need firearms the most, in many cases are the ones who are being discriminated against the most, inadvertently as a result of the nature of the course. This will be shared with the federal Minister next week. We should point out as well, I think, that all Members know about the many things that northern hunters and trappers have to contend with in harvesting and in making use of their firearms. The land we have to travel on is often very hazardous and often equipment is lost on ice floes or by breaking through ice, by boats overturning and often things like ski-doos, outboard motors, camping equipment and hunting gear, including entire sets of rifles, are lost.
In cases like this, people who depend on rifles on a daily basis will not be able to acquire firearms and would have to find some other way to get access to firearms, which brings up the whole issue of illegal trade and sale of firearms. They can borrow, but that is difficult for people to do since people usually have their own equipment and it is not a common practice any more than borrowing each other's socks.
---Laughter