MONTREAL - In a province where gun-control advocates usually have little trouble mustering support, Premier Jean Charest's plan to further restrict semi-automatic weapons is being met by a surprising yet vocal chorus saying it's riddled with holes.
Though details about the proposed bill won't be unveiled until some time after the provincial legislature resumes this week following the recent election, the Liberals have already indicated they want to force owners of restricted firearms to leave their weapons at gun clubs.
The clubs would also be responsible for buying the guns on behalf of enthusiasts.
Hunting rifles are expected to be exempt from the legislation.
"The government can no longer shut its eyes to the extremely unfortunate incidents that have taken place in recent years in Quebec,'' Public Security Minister Jacques Dupuis said in a news release announcing the bill last month.
The Liberal government, which was reduced to a minority in the election, is counting on an appetite for tougher gun control laws following last fall's shooting at Dawson College. Eighteen-year-old student Anastasia De Sousa was killed and 20 others were injured.
Restricted firearms include semi-automatic guns such as the Beretta Cx4 Storm that Dawson gunman Kimveer Gill used during his rampage and the Glock 9 mm used by Seung-Hui Cho in his recent shooting spree at Virginia Tech.
"Certainly in terms of what of most people think, there is no role for semi-automatic assault weapons in civil society,'' says Mary Hlywa, a Dawson teacher who chairs the school's committee for gun control.
But gun clubs, gun owners and law enforcement officers are taking issue with the idea of storing vast numbers of restricted firearms in one place.
"By implementing this legislation that Charest is talking about, you're just going to create a well-known place where everything is available,'' says Stephen Buddo, the National Firearms Association's Quebec vice-president.
"They'll be like supermarkets for criminals or terrorists.''
Quebec clubs say they don't have nearly enough resources to implement the government's plan securely.
Even the province's chief firearms officer, Insp. Yves Masse, has said he thinks keeping so many guns in one place could lead to more black-market activity, calling the proposed legislation a "big risk.''
Hlywa says her group trusts the analysis of law enforcement groups, and suggests that Charest's efforts are better spent lobbying the federal Conservatives to enforce the long-gun registry the Tories have vowed to dismantle.
"We appreciate Charest's support and anything he can do strengthen or maintain gun control would be excellent,'' Hlywa said.
"But there are some very concrete things that can be done within the current (federal) legislation that are left undone.''
Quebec's opposition parties have so far remained mum on the issue, saying they will wait for the bill to be tabled before showing their colours.
They may be the least of Charest's worries, as some think the premier is setting himself up for a jurisdictional tussle with Ottawa.
Federal gun laws state that restricted firearms must be kept in the dwelling of their owner.
"It will require a rewrite of the Criminal Code,'' Buddo says. "The Supreme Court clearly stated that gun control is a federal matter, so Charest is really opening up a can of worms if he wants to implement this.''
The Liberals so far appear unfazed by the criticism, but have checked some of the enthusiasm with which they initially announced their plan during the election campaign.
"Mr. Charest has given Minister Dupuis a very clear mandate,'' said Philippe Archambault, Dupuis's spokesperson. "It's one of the priorities of the government.''
But Archambault would not provide any details about specific measures in the bill, and backed away from giving a timeline for when the bill will be tabled.
"All I can say, is the work is in progress and the bill will be tabled eventually.''
