The Quebec government is planning to bring in a new gun-control bill that would impose tougher restrictions on semi-automatic weapons -- a proposal critics are shooting down.
The Charest government has revealed it wants to force owners of restricted firearms to leave their weapons at gun clubs. The clubs would also be responsible for purchasing the guns on behalf of its members.
Currently, federal law allows the transportation of certain semi-automatic weapons unloaded, with a trigger guard and in a locked case.
The Charest liberals say automatic weapons have no place anywhere in public, with the exception of gun clubs.
Hunting rifles are not expected to be included under the restrictions.
But gun clubs and gun owners are taking aim at the proposals, and argue that storing vast numbers of restricted firearms in one place is a bad idea.
"If you start getting the guns together at the same place, it's going to be the nicest place for a break-in," Pierre Cyr, a former police officer who runs a gun club north of Montreal, told Â鶹´«Ã½.
"It's going to be the nicest place for the guys who want guns without paying for them. They'll have the store for them right there."
Cyr said Quebec clubs also lack the resources to implement the government's plan securely.
"We even cut the grass ourselves because we can't afford to pay for that, you see? So, if we have to start building places, building safes, building things like that just to store the guns there, who's going to pay for that?"
But the proposal also has supporters.
Hayder Kadhim, a shooting victim from the Dawson College rampage and an advocate for gun control, says the Charest plan is a step in the right direction.
"From the beginning when I wrote my letter to the prime minister it was one of my demands to have all guns, ... not only semi automatic, put in the gun clubs."
The Charest Liberals will be revealing details of their bill after the Quebec National Assembly resumes this week.
With a report from CTV Montreal's Paul Karwatsky
