We feel there is a very legitimate argument that the federal government is encroaching on an area of provincial responsibility. Mr. Green requested that the deadline for intervener status in the Supreme Court of Canada reference case be extended so that New Brunswick could add its name to the list, along with Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and all three territories. Intervener status means the province has a direct interest in the outcome and the court would allow arguments from New Brunswick. He said that in the Constitutional Act of 1867, more commonly known as the British North America Act, the respective areas of jurisdiction for the federal and provincial governments are clearly set out. The provinces involved in this reference case are saying that the federal government is overstepping its authority with Bill C-68 in having created a law that deals with property rights.
Property rights are a provincial jurisdiction.
Mrs. Mersereau says it's a step in the wrong direction. She said the latest changes to the bill have brought compromises everyone should be able to live with. It included the new Firearms Act, which established a licensing program for firearm owners, a registration program for firearms, and Criminal Code amendments that strengthened the penalties for the illegal use of firearms. The decision further noted that the only issue the courts were to address was whether the firearms law was one which the federal government has the power to enact under the Canadian Constitution. The New Brunswick Advisory Council on the Status of Women has added its voice of dissent regarding the Tories' decision.