Bill C-409 Firearms Sunset Act

House Of Commons, Sept 27, 2000

This enactment will provide a 5-year sunset provision on all gun control legislation, other than the use of a firearm in an indictable offence, unless the Auditor General has reported that it has been a successful and cost-effective measure to increase public safety and reduce violent crime involving the use of firearms. The report has to be considered by a committee representing broad interests, and a committee report must be presented to the House of Commons and the Commons has to concur in the continuance. 

Expiry may be deferred to allow Parliament to pass amendments to allow gun control provisions to expire without affecting parts of the Act that do not relate to gun control and that are to continue.

Bill C-409 was debated in the House of Commons on September 27, 2000.  For the full text of the debate click here. 

September 28, 2000 The Report on the Firearms Act The Auditor General Would Have Given If . . .

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HOUSE OF COMMONS
Tuesday, June 13, 2000

ACCESS TO INFORMATION ACT

Mr. Garry Breitkreuz (Yorkton-Melville, Canadian Alliance) moved for leave to introduce Bill C-489, an act to amend the Access to Information Act (cabinet confidences).

He said: Mr. Speaker, in June 1999 the government used the provision for total exclusion of cabinet confidences under section 69 of the Access to Information Act to keep 172 pages of gun registry budget information a state secret. In September the government used the cabinet confidences exclusion again to hide from the public a 115 page report on the economic impact of
the gun registry. That was enough for me and I knew the law had to be changed. The purpose of this bill is to make certain amendments to the act as recommended by the information commissioner in his 1996 report, The Access to Information Act and the Cabinet Confidences: A Discussion of New Approaches. The information commissioner was kind enough to recommend changes to an earlier draft of this bill.

This bill makes cabinet confidences mandatory exemptions as opposed to exclusions. This results in the withholding of information and documents that are considered cabinet confidences being subject to the independent review under the act, rather than the entire act being inapplicable to them. The bill also excludes from the exemption documents that refer to but do not reveal the substance of cabinet confidences. Among other safeguards, this bill would require that requests for cabinet confidences be handled only by officers who have received the appropriate security clearance.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

C-489-- Mr. Breitkreuz (Yorkton -- Melville) -- An Act to amend the Access to Information Act (Cabinet confidences) Introduced and read the first time -- June 13, 2000 

For more information click on the link below.
http://www.parl.gc.ca/cgi-bin/36/bills_indiv.pl?eC-489:2

 

COMMONS DEBATES

Mr. Garry Breitkreuz (Yorkton-Melville, Ref.) moved for leave to introduce Bill C-437, an act to amend an act for the recognition and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms and to amend the Constitution Act, 1867.

He said: Mr. Speaker, this is the fourth time I have introduced my property rights bill in the House. The government has such disdain for any
legislative protection for property rights that thus far it has refused to make my previous attempts votable, and it has refused all attempts to even have my proposals reviewed by the standing committee. Individual property rights need strengthening because they were intentionally left out of the charter of rights and freedoms. Recent court cases have proven that
Canadians have no protection whatsoever from the arbitrary taking of property by the federal government. My bill would make up for this mind-boggling omission from the charter by strengthening the property rights provisions in the Canadian bill of rights. My bill would also require a
two-thirds majority vote of the House whenever the government passes laws that override fundamental property rights, like it did when it passed the Firearms Act and the Canadian Wheat Board Act.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) 

For more information on C-437 click here

C-237 was debated in the House of Commons on December 6, 1999. (click here for full text of debate)

December 6, 1999 - Liberals Kill Breitkreuz Property Rights Bill For The Third Time (news release)

My Private Members Bill (C-237) proposes to provide a minimum of protection of property rights in federal law by strengthening the property rights provisions of the Canadian Bill of Rights.

My bill would specifically guarantee that every person has:

1. the right to enjoyment of their property,
2. the right not to be deprived of their property unless they are given a fair hearing, paid fair, timely and impartially-fixed compensation, and
3. the right to appeal to the courts if their property rights have been infringed upon.

For a copy of Bill C-237 click here

For more information about C-237 click here

 

Bill Summary: This enactment will provide the means for individual taxpayers to inform the government on their views on levels and priorities for the expenditure of tax revenues by completed a People’s Tax Form and sending it in with their tax returns. The submission of the form is voluntary. The Minister of National Revenue is then required to analyze the Forms and consolidate the opinions in an analysis presented to Parliament. The Standing Committee of the House of Commons on Finance will then study the analysis and its relation to proposed expenditures of public money and report to the House. The Committee has the power to recommend changes to expenditures, changes to the Form and changes to the Act. The Form may be amended by order of the Governor in Council, provided the House has first been advised.

Bill introduced: Sep 29, 1997 (Click here for News Release)

Placed on the Order of Precedence -- September 30, 1997

Pursuant to Standing Order 86(3), jointly seconded by:

Mr. Bailey (Souris -- Moose Mountain) and Mr. Breitkreuz (Yellowhead) -- October 22, 1997

Mr. Lowther (Calgary Centre) -- October 23, 1997

Mr. Ritz (Battlefords -- Lloydminster) -- November 4, 1997

 

Bill debated and defeated: Nov 27, 1997 (Click here for News Release)

(Click here for full text of Bill C-214)

(Click here for sample Tax Form)

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Bill Summary: The purpose of this enactment is to provide a greater measure of protection in the Canadian Bill of Rights for the property rights of both individuals and corporations.

Bill introduced: Oct 30, 1998 (Click here for News Release)

Died on the Order Paper when Parliament was prorogued on September 14, 1999

(Click here for a petition in support of Bill C-452)

(Click here for full text of Bill C-452)

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Bill Summary: This enactment will provide a 5-year sunset provision on all gun control legislation, other than the use of a firearm in an indictable offence, unless the Auditor General has reported that it has been a successful and cost-effective measure to increase public safety and reduce violent crime involving the use of firearms. The report has to be considered by a committee representing broad interests, and the committee report must be presented to and concurred in by the House of Commons.

Bill introduced: Nov 7, 1997 (Click here for News Release)

Pursuant to Standing Order 86(3), jointly seconded by:

Mr. Bailey (Souris -- Moose Mountain) and Mr. Pankiw (Saskatoon -- Humboldt) -- November 18, 1997

Mr. Mark (Dauphin -- Swan River) and Mr. Ritz (Battlefords -- Lloydminster) -- November 20, 1997

Placed on the Order of Precedence -- December 7, 1998

Debated at second reading; dropped from the Order Paper -- April 30, 1999

(Click here for full text of Bill C-278)

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