MP Zimmer Clarifies Petition

OTTAWA – Bob Zimmer, Member of Parliament for Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies, released the following statement:

“As a Member of Parliament, part of my duty is to ensure that the voices of all Canadians are heard in Parliament. This includes presenting petitions of citizens in the House of Commons.”

“Six months ago Mr. Bennett asked for my assistance in ensuring that his petition would be able to be presented in the House of Commons. I agreed and his petition was posted on the e-Petition website and received 25,249 signatures – the highest number of signatures for an e-Petition in Canadian history when it was tabled in May 2016.”

“The petition states:

We, the undersigned, Lawful Firearm Owners of Canada, request (or call upon) the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness to Re-classify the Armalite Rifle – 15 back to non-restricted status so we can once again use this rifle to lawfully participate in the Canadian cultural practices of hunting.

“The petition is not asking for easier access to firearms. To obtain a restricted or non-restricted firearm one must go through a rigorous process which includes applying for a firearms licence, going through a thorough screening process and police background checks, and going through the necessary firearms safety training courses.”

“I support the Canadian outdoors traditions of hunting, fishing and sports shooting. I will continue to support a system that provides safe, licensed firearms ownership for law-abiding Canadians, while also ensuring that criminals do not have easy access to firearms.”

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