The Government of Canada must legislate for a national freeze on gun ownership that would prevent people from buying and selling them anywhere in the country.
“By the time this legislation comes into force, it will no longer be possible to buy, sell, transfer or import handguns into Canada,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The government will also demand that long-range coal miners be permanently altered so that they can never contain more than five rounds, and will ban the sale and transfer of large-capacity coal miners.
“Aside from using firearms for sport shooting and hunting, there is no reason why anyone in Canada needs weapons in their daily lives,” Trudeau said.
If approved, the freeze on guns is expected to take effect in the fall. Canada’s public safety minister had tabled regulatory amendments in parliament to ensure it could be implemented quickly, the ministry said in a statement.
The killing of 19 children and two teachers at a Texas elementary school in the United States has fueled concern over gun violence around the world. Canada already has significantly stronger arms ownership restrictions than its southern neighbor.
The new legislation, Bill C-21, also proposes withdrawing firearms licenses from people involved in acts of domestic violence or criminal harassment, such as harassment.
With Reuters