Lobbying commissioner rejects complaints against firearms panel member

A federal bill introduced in March would expand the scope of background checks on those who want to acquire a gun and force gun retailers to keep records of firearms inventory and sales, The legislation would also require purchasers to present a firearms licence, while the seller would have to ensure its validity.

The bill quickly prompted polarized reactions, criticized by some as too weak and by others as a misguided effort that does nothing to tackle actual gun crime.

A representative of the Canadian Coalition for Firearms Rights, a voice for gun owners, filed a complaint with the lobbying commissioner against Provost, alleging she was in conflict while influencing the shape of the Liberal legislation.

“We have to wonder how far the government will go to appease Nathalie and at what cost to the millions of Canadians this legislation affects, none of them criminals by the way,” the organization wrote on its website.

OneClearVoice.ca, a website that bills itself as a letter-writing tool to fight the Liberal bill, includes a template for creating a complaint to the lobbying commissioner about Provost’s activities.

Provost said that before joining the federal committee she was given clearance from the public safety minister’s office to continue acting as a spokeswoman for PolySeSouvient.

In a June 26 letter to Provost, Belanger said she was ending a preliminary evaluation of the allegations against her.

Belanger said she had looked at various correspondence, conducted interviews and examined publicly available records before making her determination.

The Lobbying Act applies only to people who are paid for their communications activities with federal officials, while Provost is a volunteer, the letter said.

The allegations “are therefore unfounded” because the act does not apply to Provost’s activities, Belanger added. “Accordingly, I consider this file closed.”