Examinationof firearmslawinthecontextof Australian, NewZealand, andtheUnitedKingdom'sfirearmsbans, andtheeffectsof Bill C-21andSOR/2020-96OwenBeaver Introduction: Throughthanlast twoyears, therehavebeendiscussionsaroundtheeffectsof bothBill C-21anditsproposedfirearmsbans, andSOR/2020-96anditslistof, andextendedeffectsof, itsbannedfirearms, onediscussionhasnotbeenhadbyeitherside, howthefirearmbansreferencedbycommittee, carriedoutbyourG7alliesfunctioned, aswell aswhattheybannedandwhattheyallowed.

Thisbriefspurposeisnottoarguefortheremoval of SOR/2020-96orBill C-21, itspurposeinsteadistoseektomakebothlegislationgreaterreflecttheactionsdonebytheseexamplenations(Australia, NewZealand, TheUnitedKingdoms) andtofindcommongroundandcompromisetofulfill boththegovernmentspublicsafetygoalswhichtargetsemi-automaticcenterfirerifles, andtorespectlawful firearmsuseandownershipthroughcompromisesimilartotheaforementionednations.

Topic: Thebanningof firearmsstill legal inthementionedG7nations, showcasesaholeinpassedanddebatedlegislation, whichofferachanceforcompromiseandcollaborationbetweentheCanadiangovernmentanditspeople, primarilycurrentandfuturefirearmsowners, andbusinesses. Theintroductionof exemptionssimilartoAustralia, NewZealand, andtheUnitedKingdomwill increasecomplianceandacceptanceof bothlegislationandtheproposed-

-buyback, andprovideabridgebetweenthegovernmentandfirearmsownerstobetterrepairrelationissues. Thisbrief will covertheaforementionedbansinG7allynations, alongsidethepitfallsof Canada’sversion, andthewaysinwhichitoverreachesandcreatesnewproblems. SectionOne: ExaminationsoffirearmslawinreferencetopassedfirearmsbansinAustralia, NewZealandandtheUnitedKingdoms.

TheUnitedKingdom:PertheUKFirearmsActAmendmentof 1988-chapter45, manuallyoperatedriflesof all typeswereunaffectedbythebanregardlessof model ormake(includingthosewhichresemblebannedfirearmsie. semi automaticcenterfirerifles) andareavailableforsaletothisday, whilstall rimfiresemi automaticriflesandall semi-automaticshotguns, (includingthosewhichresemblebannedfirearms) weregivenanexemption: [picturedbelow] [S.1] Note: PumpactionriflesintheUnitedKingdomarelegallyconsideredthesameasself-loadingfirearms, thisisacommonlycriticizedportionof theUKFirearmsact, asthespeedof apumpactionfirearmisfarslowerthananysemi-automaticfirearm.

PumpactionriflesinCanadaarepopularhuntingandsportfirearms, andassuchshouldalsobeexemptinourlegislation. ExamplesofUnitedKingdomlegal manual rifle, semi automaticshotgunandsemi automaticrimfireriflesinclude: TheSchmeisserSP15boltactionrifle, UTASXTR-12semi automaticshotgun, KrissDMK22semi automaticrimfirerifle, andotherfirearms. [Examplesbelow] 2

NewZealand:Similar exemptionshadbeenmadeinour closeallynationof NewZealandaswell, wheresemi-automaticrimfirefirearmsweregivenanexemption, withmanuallyoperatedriflesbeingexempt bynot listingthemwithinthecriteriaof theban.Per section2Aof theNewZealandArmsorder of 2019, it states: [S.2] ExamplesoffirearmsforsaletodayinNewZealandreflecttheUnitedkingdom'sownselection, withthesamefirearmsmentionedbeingavailableforsale[seeimagesabove] Alongsidethis, exclusivemodelsmadeinorforNewZealandareavailable, suchastheUTAS516Straightpull boltactionrifle, andtheNewZealandmadeGBCABYSSStraightpull boltactionrifle. [ Examplespicturedbelow] Australia: ThoughAustralianeverwroteanyspecificexemptions, therewasalsoneverabanonthesetypesof firearms, becauseof this, numerousmodelsof pumpactionandboltactionriflesexistontheAustralianfirearmsmarkettodaywhichfitintothesamecategoryasthefirearmsshowcasedfromNewZealandandtheUnitedKingdom.

TheseFirearmsincludetheAustralianmadeWarwickWFA-1straightpull boltactionrifle, theAustralianmadeOceaniaPrecisionSP-15andSP-25straightpull boltactionrifles, theAustralianWedgetail industriesMPR308pumpactionrifle, andmanyotherAustralianmadefirearms. [Examplesbelow] 3

Thistrendof exemptfirearmsshowsaclearconsensusbetweenthesenations, thatallowingmanuallyoperatedversions, rimfireversions, andshotgunversionsof bannedfirearmstocontinuetobesoldisaneffectivecompromiseandcanallowineasytransitionawayfromthenowprohibitedfirearms, andensurecompliancewiththeintroducedlaws, andpromotescompromiseandcollaborationintheprocess. SectionTwo: WhatCanadadidwrong, andwhatitcandorighttoensureamoresuccessful buyback, bettercompliance, andcompromise.

Throughthepassingof SOR/2020-96, noexemptionlikewasseenintheaforementionednationshadbeenwritten, insteadwholegroupsof makesandmodelswerebanned: [seebelow] [s.3] Alongsidethis, thelistofspecifiedbannedfirearmsdirectlyincludednumerousfirearmsstill legal andgivenexemptionintheaforementionednationsandinothernationswithsimilarbans. [Seebelow] [s.3]TheDPMSA-15Panther.22lrsemi automaticrifle, A-15pumpactionrifle, VRSsingleshotrifle. TheSmith&WessonM&P15-22semi automaticrimfirerifle. [s.3] Alongsidemanyothers.

Theirinclusiondirectlygoagainstthestatedgoal of SOR/2020-96,whichwastoonlyfocusonsemi-automaticcenterfireriflesasstateshere: [s.3] 4

LaterchangestoFRTclassifications[s.4] bytheRoyal CanadianMountedPolicealsoshowedthissamelackof exemption, withmanylowpoweredrimfireriflesliketheMossberg715t,manuallyoperatedriflesliketheKodiakDefenseKD200boltactionrifleprototype[s.5], andsemi automaticandmanuallyoperatedshotgunssuchastheAxorMF-1semi automaticshotgun, andtheAdlerB210boltactionshotgunbeinglaterprohibited, despiteclaimscontrarytothis.

Thesefirearmsareorwouldhavebeenlegal underNewZealand, UKandAustralianlaw,atestamenttothelackof exemptionandcompromiseinthisverycomplextopic, andashowcaseof theholesstill visibleinC-21andSOR/2020-96. [examplesbelow] [AdlerB210boltaction, KodiakDefenseKD200FRTchanges] [KD200FRTchangecourtesyofArmalytics] Theinclusionof anexemptionliketheonesseenintheaforementionednationswouldhavelikelylessenedthepublicoutcryovertheOIC, especiallysincethemaincriticismsof itwerethattheseexemptionsforrimfires, shotgunsandmanual actionsdidnotexists, andwouldhavelikelymadethepotential of abuybackortradeinprogramof theaffectedprohibitedsemi-automaticcenterfireriflesfarmoreplausiblethanitiscurrently. 5

Currently, theestimatednumberof firearmstobeboughtback, numbersover1million(bothrestrictedandnonrestricted) duetotheinclusionof popularsemi automaticrimfireriflesandshotguns. If thebuybackistobesuccessful, thenexemptingthesefirearmstoactascompromiseandalternativesforowners, isrecommended, thiswouldnotonlylowerthenumberof firearmsbeingseized, butalsogiveappropriatealternativefirearmsforCanadianstouse, justasourallynationshave.

Thisexemptionwouldmeanthatbothsportshooters, andhuntersmaygetappropriatereplacementsfortheirnowbannedcenterfiresemi automaticrifles, tocontinuetheirlawfuluses, andadditionallyextendstoindigenoushuntersaswell, whocouldbemadeeligibleforatradeinprogramtoreplaceanynowbannedriflestheyownwithanexemptmodel of rifleorshotgun. Thistypeof exemptionoffersachanceatcooperationandcompromisetofulfill theoriginalstatedgoal of banningcenterfiresemi automaticrifles, whilstrespectingnotonlytheneedsandwantsof sportshooters, huntersandindigenousfirearmsowners, butalsorespectingthelegislationwhichinspiredthepassingof SOR/2020-96andbill C-21.

WhatcanCanadado?:Tobringforththischangeanewamendmentoradditiontoeitherbill C-21orSOR/2020-96, oranewbill whichaddressesC-21andSOR/2020-96, shouldbeintroducedthatwritesoutthesenewexemptionstothepreviouslegislation. Thisexemptionshouldcovertheaforementionedtypesof firearms: Manual actioncenterfirerifles, Semi automaticrimfire--rifles, manual actionandsemi automaticshotguns, includingall ofthosewhichresembleorarebasedonprohibitedsemi automaticrifles.

Thisadditional legislationwouldthenbemadeknowntobusinesseswithinventoryof thesenowexemptfirearmsapprovingthemforsaleoncemore, andtonotifyPALandRPALholdersof theirexemptionaswell, whilstalsomakingitclearthatthesemi automaticcenterfirefirearmsonthelist, aswell asthefirearmswhichexceed10,000joules, arestill subjecttotheupcomingbuybackprogram.

Theexemptionoffersauniqueopportunitytorepairlegislationandensureitsoriginal goal issuccessful andfair, andthatitisfollowingthecriteriasetoutbypastbansinexamplenations.ThisexemptionshouldalsoextendtoprotectionsfrombeingbannedbyCFACshouldthatsectionof bill C-21pass, ensuringthatthesecompromisefirearmsremainacompromiseandcollaborativeefforttofinallyseal thedeal onthisdiscussion.. Theseprotectionsareneededtofinallyputthelidonthisdebate, andhaveanendingwhereeveryonewins, fromsportshooters,hunters, indigenousfirearmsowners, andbusinesses, toguncontrol groups, andforlegislatorsonall sides. 6

Closingstatement:Legislation, specificallyfirearmslegislation, isnot, andshouldnotbeadivisivegame, norshoulditbe“all takeandnogive”. Theterm“compromise”, usedveryheavilyintheserecentdiscussionshassadlylostmuchof itsmeaning. Truecompromise, whichencouragescompliance, andleadstomoresuccessful legislation, morebalancedviewsinregardstothelegislation, andabetterrelationshipbetweenagovernmentanditsnation'speople, iswhatCanadaneedsnowmorethaneverinthisdifficultdiscussion, tofinallyendthisdiscussiononapositivenoteforall sides.

Summary:Canada'spassingof SOR/2020-96bansfirearmswhichothernationswithsimilarbansconsidersafetoownanduse. Theinclusionof thesefirearmsgoesagainstthestatedgoal of banningonlycenterfiresemi automaticrifles. Canadashouldwriteoutanexemptionforthesetypesoffirearmstobetterreflectthebansdoneinothernations, topromotecompromise, andtolessentheburdenof theproposedbuybackplanwithmoreoptionsforreplacementsavailabletofirearmsowners.

Bibliography:S.1- Firearms(Amendment) Act1988(legislation.gov.uk) S.2- Arms(ProhibitedFirearms, Magazines, andParts) AmendmentAct2019No12, PublicAct5Newsections2Ato2Dinserted–NewZealandLegislation S.3-CanadaGazette, Part2, Volume154, Number3: RegulationsAmendingtheRegulationsPrescribingCertainFirearmsandOtherWeapons,ComponentsandPartsofWeapons, Accessories, CartridgeMagazines,AmmunitionandProjectilesasProhibited, RestrictedorNon-Restricted S.4- CanadianSportingArmsandAmmunitionAssociationonTwitter: "FRTupdatedovernight, longlistof12gashotgunsprohibitedincludingonenowlistedasanAR-15variant!

IndustryunclearifretroactivetoMay01, 15daysaerOICFRTstill moving. #cdnpoli @BillBlair@GlenMotz@CCFR_CCDAF@CSSA_CILA@JustinTrudeau@armalytics@ofah@CPC_HQhttps://t.co/anttFym5Mg"/ Twitter S.5-CanadianFirearmsData&Analytics| Armalytics| KodiakDefenseKD200 7