Guns turned over to police in Waterloo, Ont., during their November 2017 gun-amnesty program. (Waterloo Regional Police Service / Twitter photo)

The Liberal government quietly passed measures late last month setting the stage for Canada to join a landmark United Nations arms-control treaty on the eve of the October federal election.

But, though accession to the accord will finally fulfil one of the Liberal party’s central promises from the 2015 election, it is stirring up opposition from gun groups already lining up electoral support for Conservative party candidates.

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland issued a brief statement about Canada’s future role in the 2013 UN Arms Trade Treaty on June 21, a day after the House of Commons had what was likely its last adjournment before the fall election. It was also the day a crush of bills received royal assent from Gov. Gen. Julie Payette to pass into law before the Senate also adjourned for the summer.

Freeland revealed the government had earlier that week presented the UN in New York with Canada’s “instrument of accession” to the Arms Trade Treaty.

It was the first step in joining the accord after Parliament had passed legislation in December 2018 to amend Canadian law on exports and imports of firearms to open the way for Canada to eventually join the arms treaty.

As with a bill the government introduced to beef up controls and regulations over long-gun sales and licensing — which was among the bills that received royal assent on June 21 — the arms treaty legislation took a long time to make its way through Parliament.

Freeland introduced the bill, C-47, amendments to Canada’s Export and Import Permits Act and the Criminal Code in April 2017.

Five days before Freeland’s news release, cabinet passed an order setting Sept. 1, 2019, as the day on which the act amending the Export and Import Permits Act would come into force “permitting the accession to the Arms Trade Treaty and other Amendments.”

Freeland noted Canada would become a “State Party” to the treaty 90 days after the presentation of Canada’s instrument of accession.

“We made a commitment to ensure Canada accedes to the Arms Trade Treaty,” Freeland said in her little-noticed release. “By submitting our instrument of accession we are making this a reality.”

As of Wednesday, only the European Union, whose member nations have already signed on to the treaty, had posted a notice about Canada’s move.

A UN status list of ratifications and accessions for the treaty states it will come into force for Canada on Sept. 17.

“The Arms Trade Treaty sets a real global standard, and helps prevent human rights abuses and protect lives. It is about protecting people from arms. It ensures countries effectively regulate the international trade of arms, so they are not used to support human rights abuses, gender-based violence, terrorism, international organized crime, or violations of international humanitarian law,” a June 21 Global Affairs background document says.

“The Arms Trade Treaty opened for signature in 2013, and this step is long overdue. By becoming a State Party to the Arms Trade Treaty, Canada is living up to its commitment to defend and protect human rights around the world,” the document says.

The legislation to implement the treaty came under fire from both sides during its passage through Parliament — from critics who said it did not impose enough conditions on the export and import of arms, especially to states that were likely to use the weapons against civilian populations, and firearm lobbies and gun owners who said it would hinder the civilian firearms industry and bring in a new way to track ownership and sales.

The treaty applies to all conventional arms in a list of eight categories: battle tanks; armoured combat vehicles; artillery, combat aircraft; attack helicopters; warships; missiles and missile launchers; and small arms and light weapons. The treaty requires signatory nations to keep records of imported arms, including small arms, through to end use.

BACKGROUNDER: Arms trade hearings set to resume next week

Gun owner advocacy groups who fought the prospect in Canada claim the small arms category could cover firearms such as restricted or prohibited rifles owned by thousands of gun hobbyists and sport shooters.

The head of the National Firearms Association told iPolitics he intends to attend a two-day UN meeting on the Arms Trade Treaty in Switzerland this August to express civilian firearm concerns.

“The NFA remains opposed to the Arms Trade Treaty and strongly recommends that Canada withdraw from it,” said NFA president Sheldon Clare. “I will be attending the ATT meeting in Geneva this August and will restate our concerns about the ATT and its negative effects on civilian firearm owners.”

The head of the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights said his group opposes Canada’s participation in the treaty entirely.

“The CCFR is opposed to all participation in the Arms Trade Treaty as we believe that regulation concerning private firearm ownership should be formed by Canadians for Canadians,” said the coalition’s chief executive officer and executive director, Rod Giltaca.

“The ATT influences more than import and export controls and therefore unduly interferes with our domestic system,” Giltaca stated to iPolitics. “The registration of firearms is the issue.”

The third in the triad of prominent Canadian gun lobby groups, the Canadian Sport Shooting Association, also opposes aspects of the treaty thought to be a threat to civilian gun ownership.

“We’re concerned a lot because the treaty offers up another new way to track civilian firearms,” said the association’s executive director, Tony Bernardo.