Camrose – The Honourable Kevin Sorenson, Minister of State (Finance) and Member of Parliament for Crowfoot, welcomed the coming-into-force of an expanded Order Declaring an Amnesty Period (2014). This Order will ensure that law-abiding owners of CZ 858 or Swiss Arms family of rifles are now able to fully use their property, announced the Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. When Parliament reconvenes in September, the Conservative Government will also table the Common Sense Firearms Licensing Act. The Bill will:
- Merge the Possession Only License (POL) and the Possession and Acquisition License (PAL);
- Restrict the ability of Chief Firearms Officers to make arbitrary decisions;
- Create a grace period at the end of the five-year licence to stop people from immediately becoming criminalized for paperwork errors;
- End needless paperwork around Authorizations to Transport by making them a condition of a license;
- Require mandatory firearms safety courses for first-time gun owners; and
- Strengthen firearms prohibitions for those who are convicted of domestic violence offences.
The amnesty for law-abiding owners of the CZ 858 or Swiss Arms family of rifles will expire on March 14, 2016. The Order Declaring an Amnesty Period (2014) will allow owners of the impacted firearms to use their property. Intended amendments to the Firearms Act and Criminal Code would streamline licensing and eliminate red tape for law-abiding firearms owners. These measures would streamline licensing and eliminate needless red tape for law-abiding gun owners. It would also take steps to ensure that those convicted of domestic violence offences can be banned from owning firearms. Our Government will continue to help keep the public safe, through common sense policies, said Minister Sorenson.
