TheGunBlog.ca — Canada’s Senate is likely to approve Bill C-71 in winter or early spring, CTV News reported today, citing the sponsor of the planned law to further curtail the privacy and freedom of hunters and sport shooters.

“I am confident that it will pass, eventually,” Senator André Pratte told CTV News in an interview today.

The “controversial” bill will go to a senate committee for review in the “next few days” before the upper chamber takes its Christmas break, the news organization quoted Pratte as saying.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau proposed Bill C-71 in March to make it harder for Canada’s 2.2 million men and women with federal gun licences to buy, sell, transport and keep firearms.

Its measures include the eventual seizure of rifles from as many as 15,000 owners and the requirement for all private gun sellers to report themselves and potential buyers to the federal police before each sale.

Andrew Scheer, the leader of the opposition Conservative Party, has pledged to repeal the bill if he is elected prime minister in next year’s election.

CTV News Reports

Pratte said that the time Bill C-71 is taking to work its way through is not unusual for a bill of this kind, especially considering there is considerable opposition to it amongst Conservative senators. Though, Pratte said that he doesn’t think there has been, or will be, a concerted effort from that caucus to stall it, despite having the tools to do so if they so choose.

He also denied that the slowness is attributable to pressure from the pro-gun lobby, but acknowledged those against further gun controls have been very active.

“Many Senators have received a lot of emails and correspondence… but that’s normal for a piece of legislation that is controversial,” Pratte said.

Pratte told TheGunBlog.ca by e-mail last week that he expects Bill C-71 to be reviewed by the Senate Standing Committee on National Security and Defence.

Canada marks the 29th anniversary of the Ecole Polytechnique massacre this week, an annual reminder of the value of being armed and trained to escape or counter-attack mass murderers. The country’s politicians and police have made armed self-protection almost impossible.

Bill C-71 creates new crimes and penalties for well-intentioned hunters, farmers and sport shooters.

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Related Information

• Bill C-71 Page at TheGunBlog.ca, including The Bill C-71 Book
• Bill C-71 Is ‘Piece of Crap,’ Senator David Tkachuk Tells Senate
• Bill C-71 Senator André Pratte Comments on Timing, Communication