Senator Yussuff: Thank you for the question, Senator Dean. It’s hard to reflect on what happened in Hamilton, Ontario. I think as parents and families, we are all shocked. These were two young people, it seems, in their prime and trying to build their lives. Whatever happened, we’ll find out later in the courts. It is true, according to what has been reported so far, that the person who committed this terrible act had guns that he legally acquired and was licenced to carry. Again, in the context of gun violence, even good people do bad things.

The red-flag and yellow-flag provisions of this bill will hopefully aid in preventing some of those situations in the future. Should somebody suspect something of happening, they could bring it to the authorities and they could intervene either to confiscate the gun or take away the licence and put restrictions on that individual. That did not happen here, so we don’t have foresight into the future. We know in other places like the United States, where there are red- and yellow-flag laws, it would make a significant difference in preventing these types of situations from repeating themselves.

I’m hoping that if this bill does pass, it will aid people in the future with knowledge that there were issues in that home or with that landlord, and they could have brought it to the attention of the authorities to ensure something tragic wouldn’t happen. Now, nobody did that, but I think the government is committed so that, if the bill does pass, those provisions will get pronouncement so the public will better know how to use them in a more effective way.

In regard to sport shooters, it’s critical for us to recognize the important role they play in the Olympics and Paralympics in our country. For those who desire to continue to participate in that sport, I don’t think this bill will impact them in any way, shape or form. There are some requirements they must meet if they are legitimately involved in the sport and continue to practise and train going forward. The bill clearly recognizes that. It was improved in the other place as a result of the debate that took place and those who went before the committee.