CCFR Sits Down Face to Face with CPC Leadership Candidates

 There are a few missing and the CCFR will update them when/if they get a sit down meeting.   Kevin O’Leary’s group has been contacted multiple times without anything back.  Hopefully they will get a sit down with him as his firearm stance is shaky at best.

As stated below the CCFR is the ONLY pro-gun organization to have sit down meetings with the candidates.  I personally support all pro-gun groups and know places like the CSSA do a lot behind the scenes but frankly ALL of them should be publicly involved as this has a large impact on our firearm rights.  I also haven’t heard from the NFA about much of anything in the past year.  There have been a few things but nothing major and I wonder what they are doing.  I would love for them to contact me and explain as I am more than happy to express their views on my blog but my emails have never been answered.

Please read the report below by the CCFR.

At the CCFR we find great value in sitting down face to face with each CPC Leadership Candidate and asking the tough questions on the minds of Canadian gun owners. Only the CCFR has conducted these personal, one on one, in-person interviews with the candidates themselves in order to gauge their stance on the firearms file. In addition, we have put together a questionnaire we sent to each candidate, with a series of questions specially designed to see where the candidate’s head is The CCFR has done a great job in letting their member base know what the CPC leadership candidates think about firearms and what they will do to further our firearm rights.with the issues facing the gun owning community. Once all the information is compiled, we’ll put together our exclusive “report card series” with an easy-to-read overview of all the information collected on each candidate and a literal grade. We encourage everyone to do their own additional research on other issues under each candidates platform. The following interviews were done by CCFR Chair of the Board, Tracey Wilson.

Erin O’Toole – MP

Erin O’Toole, MP

So, I spent some time down on Parliament Hill today with Erin O’Toole. We exchanged small talk, he remembered me from the debate and commented how he liked the way I jumped up and went first. He watched the playback on CBC and said it sounded good when people cheered. We have a common friend in Mitic and we told a few stories.
Two main things for you: 1) he mentioned our policies, he’s read them-this means he did some homework which is often rare. He complimented me on the wisdom and common sense of them and gave mention to the licensing policy and said it was worded perfectly (go read it). 2) he mentioned that gun owners are especially active this go-round, both with writing letters and on social media. He’s been reading lots of comments and paying attention. A-keep writing, they notice B-govern yourself accordingly on social media.
Two things from him:1) Simplified classification system. He said the existing system leaves gun owners open to interpretations and misunderstandings. Regulations need to be simple and clear so all involved (owners, LEO, media, public) can easily identify them.
2) He would form a standing committee, stocked with people from all interests, LEO, first responders, firearm manufacturers, techs, mechanical engineers, advocates from both sides, etc. He would listen to debate and expect fact based data to be delivered to support sides. He said it is impossible to make an informed decision without the information. While he is well versed in current legislation and firearms topics, he sees value in having a well-rounded working group. No more RCMP decisions.
He’s a gun owner, goes to the range, has gone shooting with Faith Goldy, and donates his old campaign signs to the local range for mending back boards. He had me scheduled for 30 minutes, but I got almost a full hour. 

Maxime Bernier – MP

Maxime Bernier, MP

I had the opportunity to sit down with Maxime Bernier and my good friends Kory Teneycke and Emrys Graefe at the House of Commons today. Gun owners across the country have been eagerly watching this candidate, often referred to as a Libertarian minded Conservative with a firm belief in individual freedoms and personal responsibility. Watch for exciting news out of his camp coming soon on his firearms policy. This interview was my most anticipated so far and I came away very confident gun owners are in good hands. The “Report Card” series is almost complete and we are thrilled to share it with our members as a resource come CPC Leadership time. The MOST important piece right now is that you participate, and by that I mean be a card carrying member to have a vote, otherwise it is irrelevant which one you like best. Join today. I left Max with a gift of a gunnie girl calendar in support of women’s shooting programs and well, because guys dig it. Max is strong.

Kellie Leitch – MP

Kellie Leitch, MP

I spent some time sitting down with Kellie Leitch at the House of Commons to discuss issues facing the firearms community and what our future would look like under her leadership. Kellie respects the longstanding Canadian tradition of the use of guns for hunting and recreational purposes. Kellie grew up in Fort Mac where hunting is a part of the fabric of life. Kellie recently signed up for the CFSC and has a huge respect for Canadians right to self defense. She was a great supporter of the Harper governments decision to scrap the LGR. Kellie admits that the firearms file is a huge and integral part of the Ministry of Public Safety and would build a reputable, diverse Canadian Firearms Advisory Committee to advise the Minister on gun issues, removing the RCMP of having sole discretion. She sees the current system as a “limitation of freedom on gun owners” and recognizes it has very little to do with public safety. Her immediate concerns that would be dealt with swiftly are; firearms advisory committee structure, the classification system revamp and extending the licensing of firearms owners to 10 years. Kellie is a strong woman and leader, a true-blue Conservative who stays true to her values, regardless of media scrutiny. I look forward to hosting Kellie at a ladies sport shooting event at EOSC this summer. She is easy to talk to, very comfortable with her constituents and was very welcoming even though it was not our first meeting. Keep your eye on Leitch and watch for more in the report cards

Steven Blaney – MP

Steven Blaney, MP

I had the privilege of sitting down with Steven Blaney on Tuesday to discuss the upcoming leadership election and what the firearms file would look like for Canadians under his leadership. He was very candid and relaxed. We watched some Rod on YouTube and discussed his prior appointment as Minister of Public Safety (2013-2015). We spoke about some of the past decisions that gained him some criticism from our community and the overwhelming support he had with the Common-Sense …Firearm Licensing Act (C-42). While Blaney is no expert on firearms, he understands the criminalization of our community is unjust and would bring some change, “The Respect for Gun Owners Reform”; introduce the Gun Owners Charter of Rights, appoint an ombudsman to enforce it, add the option for a 10 year PAL or RPAL renewal, adopt the “simplified classification system”, transfer control away from the RCMP and back to the Ministry of Public Safety and CFAC, restore regular service standards to the FRT system, and build CFAC from a fair, varied and diversified field of candidates, all experts in their fields … all within 100 days of taking office. I gave him a CCFR calendar as a gift and to promote women in our sport, he gave me his ear pro in return. His charisma is engaging and his laugh is infectious. Blaney is a very likeable candidate. More to come on the report card.

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