Photo: The Canadian Press
The federal government plans to fast-track a ban on the import of weapons into the country without the approval of Parliament through a regulatory measure that will take effect in two weeks, Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino announced on Friday.
The change will last until a permanent freeze is passed in Parliament and comes into force.
The government introduced gun control legislation in May that includes a national freeze on the import, purchase, sale and transfer of guns to Canada.
That legislation was not passed before Parliament took its summer break and will be debated again when MPs return to Ottawa in the fall.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said she has the authority to ban any import or export permits to Canada.
“Working with Marco, we came up with the idea of creating this new permission requirement system,” Joly said. “But in the meantime, we will deny any permission.”
The temporary ban will prevent companies from importing handguns into Canada, with some exceptions mirroring those in legislation introduced in May.
“Given that almost all of our weapons are imported, that means we’re freezing our domestic weapon even sooner,” Mendicino said. “From this point on, the number of guns in Canada is only going to go down.”
Government trade data show Canada imported $26.4 million worth of handguns and revolvers between January and June, a 52% increase compared to the same period last year.
PolySeSouvient, a group representing survivors and families of victims of gun violence, applauded the government’s approach to freezing imports in a statement released Friday.
“This is a significant and creative move that will undoubtedly slow the expansion of the Canadian handgun market until Bill C-21 is passed, hopefully this fall,” said shooting survivor Nathalie Provost from École Polytechnique in Montreal in 1989.
Mendicino and Joly announced the change outside a Catholic elementary school in the Toronto suburb of Etobicoke, as children tossed soccer balls onto the field behind them.
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