Senate Committee — SECD — Brief — secd_c21_letter_justice_gnwt_e

SECD / Brief / secd_c21_letter_justice_gnwt_e

Senate Committees

THIS INFORMATION CAN BE SHARED PUBLICLY November 01, 2023 Standing Senate Committee on VIA EMAIL National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs The Senate of Canada OTTAWA ON K1A 0A4 Dear Standing Senate Committee: Letter to Standing Senate Committee on Bill C-21 As the Minister of Justice for the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT), I would like to thank you for the opportunity to comment on Bill C-21.

I would like to note that the potential impact on Indigenous and northern residents has, and continues to be, our largest concern with this legislation, including how this Bill may impact hunters, trappers, and others on the land, including those using firearms for wilderness protection in remote areas. These culturally important activities are critical to domestic economic opportunity and food security, as most territorial residents consume country foods regularly.

The high cost of living can make this a necessity, with the consumption of country foods rising to 90 percent in smaller communities. 1 For that reason, it is also important to consider how any changes could increase the cost s or reduce the availability of required firearms and ammunition. Revocation of the proposed amendments G4 and G46 was a marked improvement that helped to address some of these concerns.

I would also like to note that given the commitment by the federal government to re -establish the Canadian Firearms Advisory Committee to review the classification of existing firearms, the Northwest Territories continues to advocate for northern and Indig enous representation on any such committee, and for northern input into any other prohibitions or amendments to regulations that may be considered going forward.

We continue to face high rates of intimate partner and gender -based violence in the Northwest Territories and we would like to recognize the potential value in the “red and yellow flag” laws that have been included in the Bill. This aspect of the legislation should be considered closely to ensure it does not introduce any unintentional consequences. …/2 https://www.statsnwt.ca/Traditional%20Activities/ -2- There is a disproportionate representation of Indigenous peoples in the justice system, and despite ongoing efforts, recent statistics point to a continuing upward trend.

Any changes to the law must consider how they may impact Indigenous peoples who are or have been engaged in the justice system. I wish you the best of luck in your thorough review. If you require further information, please contact my office. Sincerely, R.J. Simpson Minister, Justice c. Shaleen Woodward Principal Secretary Martin Goldney Secretary to Cabinet/Deputy Minister Executive and Indigenous Affairs Charlene Doolittle Deputy Minister Department of Justice

Document details

Collection	Senate Committees
Citation	SECD / Brief / secd_c21_letter_justice_gnwt_e
Type	committee
Volume / chapter	441 / Brief / secd_c21_letter_justice_gnwt_e
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	COMM_SEN
Identifier	0f1c258fff2f66109ed106bcfd51f1414216905f

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