Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I must admit I was taken in by Justice Minister Allan Rock when he visited and met with Caucus last fall. He is a fine-looking, smooth-talking, intent man, and he disarmed me somewhat by admitting he was from Toronto, he had no experience with firearms, and I was even more impressed to learn that he even had gone to a shooting range to find out what it's like to fire a gun.
I was very impressed with the unanimous and eloquent views of all Members -- Metis, Dene, Inuit, non-native -- in Caucus on this new firearms legislation, as expressed very forcefully to the Minister when we met with him in Caucus. I remember clearly telling him and warning him politely that even the present laws on safe storage of firearms are largely ignored and, judging from what he was proposing, there had to be a way of exempting northern hunters from the impact of this legislation, just as GHL holders are now at least exempted from the fee for applying for a firearms acquisition certificate.
"I'm hearing you," he assured me. So I was somewhat reassured. I now think that maybe this was a polite way of telling me, "I don't agree with you, but I'll hear you out." Or, "This will never fly in Toronto, but I will listen politely and even intently to what you're saying."
Now I don't know if Mr. Rock is still hearing me or listening, but I would like to tell him something again -- and I think I'm going to need more time to do so, Mr. Speaker, so I would request unanimous consent to conclude my statement, please.