MP Bob Zimmer’s Private Members’ Motion on UN Firearms Regime Debated in the House

May 26, 2015 

MP Bob Zimmer’s Private Members’ Motion on UN Firearms Regime Debated in the House of Commons

OTTAWA – Bob Zimmer, Member of Parliament for Prince George-Peace River, stood in the House of Commons today to debate his Private Members’ Motion on the UN Firearms Regime. This was the first hour of debate for M-589.

The motion highlights Canada’s extensive firearms safety regulations and discourages the government from adopting the United Nations resolution 55/255 concerning firearms.

“It was an honour to stand today and address the House on an issue that I am deeply committed to,” said Mr. Zimmer. “I have always stood up for the rights of law-abiding gun owners and I firmly believe that Canada already has measures in place to protect public safety that are far superior to this model offered by the United Nations.”

The UN resolution includes a section on the marking of firearms, asking State Parties to have each imported firearm marked with an identification code, identifying the country of import. This would mean that all firearms imported into Canada would have to be marked with ‘Canada’ or ‘CA’, creating a huge cost to the law-abiding firearms community and potentially another form of a firearm registry.

“Our government kept its 17-year-old promise by scrapping the long-gun registry. My intention in tabling this motion is to ensure that any door that could re-open the long-gun registry remains firmly closed,” said Mr. Zimmer.

While Canada has been a signatory to the UN Firearms Regime since 2002, it has not ratified the treaty. The Firearms Marking Regulations, drafted to respond to the UN Firearms Regime, were made by the Governor in Council in 2004 under the previous Liberal Government, but not brought into force.

“It is clear that this UN resolution, and any subsequent regulations drafted to enforce it, is only designed to needlessly target law-abiding firearms owners in Canada. That is why I put forward this motion to repeal the Firearms Marking Regulations,” said Mr. Zimmer.

Mr. Zimmer would like to thank John Barlow, the Member of Parliament for MacLeod, for seconding his motion, as well as John Williamson, Member of Parliament for New Brunswick Southwest, Ryan Leef, Member of Parliament for Yukon, and David Sweet, Member of Parliament for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale, for speaking in support and defense of M-589.-30-

More information: 613-947-4524

Full text of M-589