The Member of Parliament for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound and Deputy Whip of the Official Opposition calls newly tabled gun legislation by the federal government "useless".
Alex Ruff tells CKNX he does plan to rise to speak in opposition of Bill C-21 when it is brought up for second reading in the House of Commons, a bill he calls "frustrating" for targeting law-abiding owners of firearms.
Ruff says he continues to ask "for data that substantiates the logic behind what they are doing, and define what they mean when they decide which firearms are prohibited", noting he would rather see money that will be used for a buyback program, a number Ruff says could be close to one billion dollars, and instead put into the over 100 land crossing points along the Canada-United States border.
Since the legislation was announced, Ruff says he has heard from several constituents, and said almost all are dead set against it, with the Tara native saying some police officers use off-duty time to use some firearms prohibited in the new legislation, as the course of their workdays do not allow for such opportunities. This is something Ruff calls "important towards ensuring these officers are prepared so that if they are ever in a situation, they can protect themselves".
When Bill C-21 is brought up for second reading, Ruff says he plans to volunteer to sub into the Public Safety Committee, which would give him a chance to ask "more pointed questions requiring better answers then we get during question period".
