New gun handle laws the federal authorities tabled Monday includes a countrywide freeze on the order, sale, importation and transfer of handguns in Canada.
The governing administration also is pledging to start buying back again 1000’s of banned assault-model weapons in advance of the conclude of the 12 months.
When the proposal falls small of a complete ban on handguns, it would efficiently restrict their number in Canada.
“In other text, we are capping the market place for handguns,” Key Minister Justin Trudeau informed a press convention Monday.
“As we see gun violence proceed to rise, it is our obligation to preserve using action.”
Trudeau claims the gun handle bill tabled currently contains a nationwide freeze on the sale, importation and transfer of handguns in Canada, making this the government’s most formidable endeavor however to restrict entry to firearms in this nation.
Community Safety Minister Marco Mendicino introduced the monthly bill, C-21, in the Property of Commons Monday.
“The bill we just tabled represents a milestone amidst a long and tough struggle which can take position on our streets just about every one working day,” Mendicino reported at the information meeting. “It really is a struggle which has claimed much too several life, leaving vacant chairs at the dinner table, and vacant desks in our lecture rooms.”
The laws revives some federal measures that failed to move ahead of previous year’s general election and implements some new proposals created for the duration of the campaign.
They include taking absent firearms licences from these included in domestic violence or felony harassment, increasing criminal penalties for smuggling and trafficking of firearms, and a “pink flag” law which would involve persons deemed a menace to by themselves or other people to turn in their firearms to regulation enforcement.
The federal government previously proposed functioning with provinces and territories to set restrictions on handguns. Trudeau claimed his governing administration deserted that concept immediately after consultations.
“In our conversations with regulation enforcement, advocates and experts, it became obvious that we required a various remedy,” he explained.
“So we made the decision to consider a new route, anything that would tackle this situation at a nationwide amount.”
A restricted range of people today would be exempt from the handgun constraints, together with elite sport shooters and all those with authorization to have, these types of as important products carriers, senior governing administration officers reported in a briefing.
The federal government also reported in a information launch that it would require publications for long guns to be transformed so they cannot carry more than five rounds. Sales of significant-capacity magazines would be banned.
It also would enhance the maximum penalty for offences below the law, such as illegally owning, buying or production a firearm, from 10 many years imprisonment to 14.
“We recognize that the broad the greater part of gun owners use them securely, and in accordance with the legislation,” Trudeau claimed.
“But other than applying firearms for sport shooting and for searching, there is no motive everyone in Canada really should require guns in their daily lives.”
“We are often likely to be organized to appear at all solutions, but today was a sizeable stride in that direction,” said Community Safety Marco Mendicino when questioned if the Liberal authorities would ever introduce a national ban on handguns.
Mendicino verified that the authorities would be continuing with a necessary buyback program for the in excess of 1,500 assault-model weapons the government banned two a long time back — including the AR-15. He said the particulars will have to wait around for consultations with sector on payment and likely won’t be out there until eventually this summer time.
He explained that the to start with weapons would be purchased back ahead of the conclude of this 12 months.
“It is really going to be hard but we are likely to get it finished,” Mendicino stated.
He added that the govt is aiming to ban an even larger sized number of assault-style weapons by way of an modification to the invoice.
The legislation comes after a selection of mass shootings in the United States, which include a new taking pictures at an elementary faculty that killed 19 children and two older people in Uvalde, Texas. Trudeau claimed in reaction to the massacre that Canadians are “remarkably united” in wanting to lessen gun violence at home.
Prior to the presentation of the invoice, the Home unanimously voted in favour of a movement expressing its horror at the Uvalde capturing and condolences to the loved ones, good friends and communities of the victims.
On Twitter, Conservative public protection critic Raquel Dancho said the legislation does not effectively deal with gun violence.
“Present day announcement fails to focus on the root cause of gun violence in our towns: unlawful guns smuggled into Canada by criminal gangs,” she explained. “The PM has experienced 7 decades to take care of this major issue, however he carries on to chase headlines and bury his head in the sand.”
Today’s announcement fails to concentration on the root lead to of gun violence in our cities: illegal guns smuggled into Canada by criminal gangs. The PM has had 7 a long time to repair this critical situation still he proceeds to chase headlines and bury his head in the sand. #cdnpoli https://t.co/DzHDzKYYIt
&mdash@RaquelDancho
John Brassard, the Conservative property leader, advised CBC’s Energy & Politics, the laws unfairly targets legal gun proprietors.
“The authentic trouble in this place is not the legislation-abiding firearms homeowners, who are greatly regulated, closely-licensed … the genuine dilemma in this state has to do with gangs and criminals who are importing firearms, typically from the United States, utilizing unlawful guns on our streets,” he instructed host Vassy Kapelos.
Alistair MacGregor, the NDP public basic safety critic, agreed that handgun smuggling is an issue, but claimed the trouble is complex and will require a variety of distinctive steps.
“What the governing administration really should be doing now is operating with provinces, and doing the job with municipalities, to aid individuals jurisdictions that do want to ban a handgun,” MacGregor reported.
The Coalition for Gun Control, a team launched in the wake of the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre in Montreal, welcomed the monthly bill.
“This proposed law will bolster screening procedures for gun licences with a individual concentration on risk components affiliated with domestic violence, but also suicide and loathe crimes,” Wendy Cukier, the group’s president and a professor at Toronto Metropolitan College, said in a media statement.
“The game-changer is the proposed national ban on the sale and importation of handguns which will stem the circulation of these guns. Legal handguns are a considerable source of handguns applied in criminal offense and are the guns most typically used in mass shootings. Canadians want them banned.”
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante also praised the proposed measures but added she desires to see a complete ban on handguns inevitably.
Je salue le signal fort envoyé aujourd’hui par le gouv. du Canada, @JustinTrudeau et @marcomendicino qui proposent des outils nationaux de lutte contre les violences armées et conjugales.
C’est un acquire pour la sécurité à Montréal et dans toutes les villes du pays. #polmtl
&mdash@Val_Plante
“National equipment to combat armed and domestic violence are a earn for Montreal and towns throughout the state,” she explained in a media statement. “We hope that the stage taken nowadays by the Canadian federal government qualified prospects us in the direction of the complete ban of handguns on our territory and out of the get to of younger folks.”
Tracy Wilson, vice-president of community relations for the Canadian Coalition for Firearms Rights, criticized the bill and the Trudeau government’s approach to the situation, declaring the proposed law puts as well much emphasis on regulating authorized firearms and not adequate on criminals and unlicensed weapons.
“As soon as once more, it is really focusing on the completely erroneous demographic,” she mentioned.
“The moment again, [Trudeau’s] choosing to go down the route of concentrating on lawful, accredited, RCMP-vetted gun entrepreneurs, rather of focusing on unlicensed criminals and their illicit firearms.”
