Alberta gun owners hopeful Bill 8 strong enough to trump federal firearms legislation | 24CA News
Gun homeowners in Alberta are feeling hopeful after the provincial authorities tabled new firearms laws final week, however consultants say it’s not but clear if Bill 8 could have the facility to trump federal laws.
Alberta Justice Minister Tyler Shandro launched the laws Tuesday, saying the purpose of the invoice is to supply extra readability and autonomy to Albertans over firearms rules after amendments to the federal firearms legal guidelines obtained pushback.
Dwight Newman, constitutional legislation professor on the University of Saskatchewan stated the invoice provides a normal framework for Alberta to reply to at the moment unknown federal laws.
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“It’s a bit of an unusual piece of legislation in the allowing of all the different kinds of legislation that it could support, but it’s speaking to Alberta trying to be ready for different scenarios that could arise,” Newman stated.
The first federal firearms ban that took impact May 2020 left many authorized gun homeowners, together with Lennard Kucey, proprietor of Phoenix Indoor Range and Gunshop Ltd., within the lurch.
Kucey stated that when the federal ban went into impact in May 2020, any firearms his business had in inventory that fell beneath that mandate needed to be locked away, as they had been unable to promote, commerce or ship them again.
“We were at a loss,” he stated of the estimated quarter-million dollars-worth of stock that now sits in a storage container. “Our sales have probably gone down about 75 per cent.”
This new laws is giving him hope once more.
“It was the only time in the last long while that I’ve had any kind of possible good news as far as business goes,” stated Kucey of the tabling of Bill 8, and what he considers to be the province’s effort to heal wounds for authorized gun homeowners in Alberta.
He stated that if the invoice is handed, it may doubtlessly save plenty of firearms companies within the province.
“Of all the provinces to be in right now, I’m glad I’m in Alberta, because Alberta’s the only one that’s fighting for us, as far as I can see,” he stated.
But it’s not but clear if this laws could have the energy — and the technicality — to trump federal laws that Alberta doesn’t agree with.
Newman stated there are ideas that federal laws can overrule provincial laws when there’s a battle between the 2 governments.
“The province is trying to make some more innovative arguments that there are areas that they can defend as the exclusive jurisdiction of Alberta … and it remains to be seen what a court would do with that down the road,” he defined.
The federal and provincial justice ministers say they’re working collectively to search out options that work for all events.
“We’re not going to agree on every single policy — I think that’s natural … and Minister Shandro and I do look for other ways in which we can collaborate,” stated federal Justice Minister David Lametti at a news convention Friday.
Shandro added that the federal and provincial governments each have a job to play in security and regulation.
“If there is going to be an increase in the storage, the transportation, movement of firearms throughout the province, the province has a role to play in ensuring the safety of (the confiscation) program … and that’s what this legislation is deciding to do,” Shandro stated.
— With information from Morgan Black, Global News
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
