On the heels of the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, Canadian Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau announced one of the “strongest” gun control measures in the country’s history, declaring a national freeze on buying, selling, importing, and transferring handguns.
“This is not an easy thing to do, but we all agree it is the responsible thing to do,” Justin Trudeau said in a press conference, adding, “Other than using firearms for sport shooting and hunting, there is no reason anyone in Canada should need guns in their everyday lives.”
In addition, we’ll make sure that people involved in acts of domestic violence or criminal harassment have their firearms licenses taken away. And we’ll make sure that those who are considered a danger to themselves or others have to surrender their firearms to authorities.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) May 30, 2022
Canada saw a 71% rise in registered handguns, about 1.1 million, between 2010 and 2020. Moreover, handguns accounted for 59% of firearm-related violent crimes between 2009 and 2020. Though Bill C-21 allows current owners to possess and use handguns, it proposes to limit the number of arms available. “In other words, we’re capping the market,” Trudeau added. However, the resolution will exempt elite sports athletes and coaches participating in the Olympics and Paralympics, security guards, and businesses transporting valuable goods.
Back in 2020, PM Trudeau announced an immediate ban on about 1,500 types of military-grade ‘assault-style’ weapons in the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in Canadian history, wherein 22 people were killed in Nova Scotia. As part of the new bill, a buyback programme will be launched to offer fair compensation to affected owners and businesses. “Countries that do a good job of controlling guns do a good job of controlling gun violence,” Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino told the Associated Press.
Today, our government introduced Canada’s most significant action on gun violence in a generation.
— Marco Mendicino (@marcomendicino) May 30, 2022
Bill C-21 will implement a national freeze on handguns, tackle organized crime, address the role of guns in gender based violence and more. pic.twitter.com/2OXnt6ec8Q
Additionally, the government will take away firearms licenses of those involved in domestic violence or criminal harassment, such as stalking. A new “yellow flag” regulation will also be established that allows chief firearms officers to temporarily suspend a person’s gun license if they “receive information calling into question their licence eligibility,” which would prevent the person from using or buying guns. However, the license would be immediately reinstated once the doubt has been “eliminated.”
Many women’s groups had requested the government to remove the “red flag” provision last year, as “potential victims should not be expected to put themselves at risk by going to court to request action that should be immediate and within the direct responsibility of police.” The government seems to have recognised the concern, as the identities of the individuals will be protected in court.
When there are fewer guns, our communities are safer.
— Mélanie Joly (@melaniejoly) May 30, 2022
No one should fear for their safety when going to school, their place of worship, or walking down the street.
That’s why we’re implementing a national freeze on hand guns in Canada.https://t.co/vR7XePjob2
Canada's gun laws are fairly strict. Its largest problem is gun smuggling from the United States.
— Justin Ling (@Justin_Ling) May 30, 2022
Will be interesting to see what "more tools for law enforcement to investigate firearms crimes, and strengthening border security measures" means.
The proposed new legislation would also prohibit toys that look like real guns, such as airsoft rifles. This comes in the wake of the Toronto police shooting and killing a man carrying a pellet gun last week. “Because they look the same as real firearms, police need to treat them as if they are real. This has led to tragic consequences,” Minister of Justice David Lametti told reporters. Similarly, Canadian Police Association President Tom Stamatakis favoured the total ban on fake guns by saying, “You cannot distinguish between what’s a replica firearm and what's a real firearm, particularly when these incidences involving replica firearms occur often in very dynamic, quickly evolving circumstances.”
Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair revealed that illegal guns are often smuggled in from the United States (US), which he remarked has one of the largest small arms arsenals in the world. To combat gun smuggling and trafficking, the government has increased criminal penalties and strengthened border control measures, which resulted in law enforcement apprehending more than double the number of illegal weapons as compared to 2020.
Furthermore, the Trudeau administration seeks to ban military-style assault weapons when they enter the market, though it is yet to formally define what constitutes an assault-style weapon. The government has also proposed a requirement for long-gun magazines to be permanently altered to hold no more than five rounds under the Criminal Code.
Trudeau is exploiting a tragedy in another country to once again attack peaceful gun owners in Canada. This new crackdown will have zero impact on gang violence in our cities. Like all tyrants, he wants to completely disarm citizens.https://t.co/SPxUebLz2d
— Maxime Bernier (@MaximeBernier) May 30, 2022
Despite years of more gun control, bans, buybacks, and nearly a billion dollars spent, gun violence continues to go up in Canada. Today Trudeau doubled down on his failed approach and again promised Canadians it will keep them safe. It won’t, just as it hasn’t for years. #cdnpoli
— Raquel Dancho (@RaquelDancho) May 30, 2022
Liberals continue to use gun policy to wedge Canadians.
— Jean Charest (@JeanCharest_) May 30, 2022
The fact is the true source of violent crime in our cities is caused by illegal guns used by gangs and criminals.
That’s where we need to urgently focus our attention.#cdnpoli #cpcldr https://t.co/jxQutfXwoD
The new bill is expected to pass in Parliament with the support of the leftist New Democratic Party (NDP), which has been in favour of stricter gun control laws. In a statement, NDP public safety critic Alistair MacGregor said that his party is “committed to addressing gun violence and making our communities safer.”
In a similar vein, Conservative Party Member of Parliament (MP) Pierre Poilievre cautioned that law-abiding gun owners should be respected and dangerous criminals should be jailed. However, head of the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights Rod Giltaca called the latest reforms “absurd,” as authorities were not implementing the procedures already in place to handle gun violence, like cross-checking with references listed on gun license applications.
Previously, the Liberals wanted to enact handgun laws according to different provinces and municipalities, but Trudeau admitted that it wasn’t the right “fit,” as a result of which a comprehensive plan emerged as the better option. Apart from automatic weapons and handguns, most rifles and shotguns have been comparatively lightly regulated. The previous Conservative government shut down a registry pertaining to such arms due to technical issues, apart from being quite unpopular in rural areas. Trudeau, too, has not renewed the registry despite gun control groups advocating for such a move.