Ottawa, ON – Today, the Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, tabled the Common Sense Firearms Licensing Act in the House of Commons.

This summer, the Government announced its intentions to table this legislation in the House this fall. The Common Sense Firearms Licensing Act will streamline licensing and eliminate red tape for law-abiding firearms owners.

Specifically, this legislation will do the following:

- Merge the Possession Only License (POL) and the Possession and Acquisition License (PAL);

- Restrict the ability of the Chief Firearms Officers to make arbitrary decisions;

- Create a grace period at the end of the five-year license to stop people from immediately becoming criminalized for paperwork errors;

- End the needless paperwork in regards to Authorizations to Transport by making these authorizations a condition of license;

- Require mandatory firearms safety courses for first-time gun owners;

- Strengthening firearms prohibitions for those who are convicted of domestic violence offences.

"The Common Sense Firearms Licensing Act is a piece of legislation that will go a long way in ensuring that firearms licensing is Canada is as efficient and effective as possible," said Larry Miller, MP for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound. "I am very happy to see that the Government is moving forward with this legislation that will pursue common-sense firearms policies without the needless red-tape."

Furthermore, Mr. Miller has made a petition available in his office in Owen Sound for constituents to sign. The petition calls on Parliament to pass the Common Sense Firearms Licensing Act.

Source - Larry Miller, MP (Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound)