MP Motz: Liberals are “concerned” as anti-gun control petition reaches 141,000 signatures

The anti-gun control petition e-2341 has reached 141,191 signatures, today. Back on January 8th, the petition was only at 76,000 signatures.

Bradley Manysiak, who started the petition, told The National Telegraph that it might influence federal gun policy. Brad said that a large number of signatures are only a reflection of those gun-owners and supportive non-gun owners that have heard about the petition.

“I think like with any petition, and you can pretty much take the number of signatures and [multiply] that by ten because it’s hard to get the information out about the petition to people that aren’t online. And there’s a lot of firearms owners, and there’s a lot of concerned Canadians that haven’t even heard about the petition yet,” Brad explained.

When asked if there had been any impact on Parliament Hill concerning the petition, Brad spoke very positively about the results he had on that front.

He told us that his local Member of Parliament and sponsor of his petition, Glen Motz, had reported back to him the good news on the ground in Ottawa regarding the petition.

Brad states:

“[Motz] called me about a week ago, and we spoke for about half an hour. He told me that the government is well aware of the petition and that he gets the sense that they’re concerned about it, which is, from our point of view, very encouraging.”

With the low regard that most hold petitions with, very few see even minor positive changes in response to them, having a Conservative MP getting the sense from Liberal government members are worried about public resistance shows positive changes may be made.

On the issue of the government’s position, Brad himself seems positive on the impact of his petition may have on the Liberal government’s attitude on its legislation.

“On the government side, I believe that they’re, they’re starting to understand that law-abiding firearms owners aren’t the problem and that all of the points that we make in the petition are very, very reasonable asks, If you search for the petition on the petitions website, it’s not listed as a firearms petition, it’s listed as democratic process. So all we’re asking is that it be debated.”

On gun culture, Brad states, “I think we’re seeing a shift in public perception from everyday Canadians. That was one of the main reasons I started the petition hoping to start a conversation about firearms laws, [the] average Canadian, doesn’t know what’s involved. So that’s a very positive thing that we’ve done.”

Brad himself attests that his side to the gun control debate wants a proper parliamentary procedure abided by where viable discourse on gun control legislation can be had.

“Through debate, the truth is going to come out. People are going to understand that this is a very misguided piece of legislation,” Brad predicted. 

Though gathering public support proved trying with pro-gun control petitions only gathering 24,000 signatures, the actual implementation of gun bans, buy-backs, and future restrictions will be the far more difficult.

Brad explained:

“First of all, it’s a massive waste of taxpayers’ money. There have been people who have estimated that, and I believe, on the low end, it’ll cost a billion dollars. Some people believe it’ll cost upwards of $5 billion implements this, with no increase in public safety at all…this is it isn’t just as simple as using an [Order in Council] and by the stroke of a pen Its law. This is going to be ongoing for years; this is going to be a huge waste of money by the governments for years and years to come.”

The yet to be released list of ‘military-style’ guns that Minister of Public Safety Bill Blair has been discussing over the past few months has fundamental flaws with how weapons are categorized.

Brad put that the definition of ‘military-style’ firearms is “random, arbitrary, and misguided.” The situation may exist where higher calibre non-restricted class rifles won’t be banned, while lower calibre weapons will be banned simply for having modified pieces for aesthetic purposes that make them look ‘military-style.’

Of course, no weapons should be banned as no evidence banning the guns of legal gun owners makes anyone safer. Many opponents to the gun bans and restrictions have pointed to the far smaller money being allocated for fighting gang violence, which makes up the majority of all gun-involved crime.

Canada’s Liberal government will have to cease their gun control legislation with the petition gaining steam. The electoral blowback could make the passage of gun control a fool’s errand for the party.

Brad compared the potential electoral disaster for the Liberals to the last significant action against legal gun owners a couple of decades ago.

“It wasn’t all that long ago that with the long-gun registry [about] 20 years ago, and they’re still rural ridings that used to be Liberal, that they’re not Liberal anymore specifically because of that long gun registration. [Their new gun legislation] is like the long gun registration, part two, on steroids.”

With the petition not ending until February 15th, it isn’t far fetched to see this playing a significant role in curtailing the Liberal’s planned gun control. 

The worst-case scenario for the Liberals could mean the passage of gun control legislation suffers a significant electoral defeat, where laws are quickly repealed before they can even be implemented.