Two new members have been appointed to the Canadian Firearms Advisory Committee by the Liberal government.

In late February, the Honourable Ralph Goodale, minister of public safety and emergency preparedness, announced the appointment of The Honourable Wallace Oppal, former attorney general of British Columbia to the committee. Oppal will also serve as the committee chair.

Christine Creyke, a member of Canada’s Indigenous community and lands director for the Tahltan Central Government, is the other new appointee.

The 10-member committee, which was set up by the previous government, initially had representation mainly from the shooting industry and outdoors groups.

According to the government news release, membership now includes “civilian firearms users, farmers, law enforcement officials, public health advocates, Indigenous communities and women’s organizations.”

Previously, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters was represented on the committee.

“The OFAH has a long history of providing strong and effective leadership on behalf of the firearms community, and had active representation on CFAC in the past,” said Brian McRae, OFAH’s senior advisor community and partner relations.

“With the support of the other provincial and territorial hunting organizations across Canada, we represent more than 350,000 Canadians in firearms-related discussions and continue to have a considerable stake in the future of firearms policy. We feel that hunters, trappers and recreational shooters are severely underrepresented on CFAC today and we believe there is a need for the federal government to better incorporate these interests.”

According to the government website, members will serve a maximum of two years, and it is anticipated that they will meet for at least one in-person meeting per year.

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