The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, with government officials and advocates for gun control, speaks at a news conference on gun control legislation that was presented to the House of Commons on Monday.BLAIR GABLE / Reuters
On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the introduction of Bill C-21, a gun control law that would freeze the import, sale and transfer of handguns.
“This is a concrete and real national measure that will go a long way in keeping Canadians safe,” Trudeau said. “Apart from using firearms for sport shooting and hunting, there is no reason why anyone in Canada should need guns in their daily lives.”
The new bill comes at a time of heightened attention to armed violence, following mass shootings in the U.S. this month in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo. However, Canada’s heated debate over arms control has dragged on for years, with the rise in gun-related crimes. On Friday, Statistics Canada reported that violent crime with firearms had increased from 2013 to 2019, after several years of decline. In 2020, there were 29 victims of violent gun-related crimes per 100,000 people in Canada, compared to 19 victims in 2013, according to police reports.
Here is everything you know about the C-21 bill so far.
What’s new in gun control legislation, Bill C-21?
The new legislation will amend the Firearms Act to freeze the purchase, sale, import and trade of handguns throughout the country. The measures fail to ban guns directly, allowing current owners to keep their guns.
Bill C-21 would also allow for the automatic removal of gun licenses from people who have committed domestic violence or participated in criminal harassment, such as harassment. And it would create a new “red flag” law that would allow courts to require people considered dangerous to themselves or others to hand over their firearms to the police.
Under the new legislation, chief firearms officers – the provincial authority responsible for firearms licenses and authorizations – could not approve the transfer of a handgun to people. Companies could continue to sell to other companies, such as film and museum companies, as well as exempt people. Exempt individuals include those carrying valuable merchandise and elite sports shooters competing or training in hand-held events recognized by the International Olympic or Paralympic Committees.
In addition to the legislation, the Liberals also say they will require long-range magazines to be permanently altered so that they can never have more than five rounds, as well as banning the sale and transfer of high-capacity magazines in accordance with the Penal Code.
The new bill expands the previous C-21 bill, which was not passed before the last federal election, and addresses some of the concerns raised by gun control advocates.
What are the current gun laws in Canada?
Firearms are federally regulated in Canada, as described in the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1977. In the meantime, gun control in Canada is governed by the Penal Code as well as the Firearms Act. of 1995.
Possessing and using firearms in Canada requires a firearms license, called a Possession and Acquisition License (PAL). The license indicates what kind of firearms and ammunition a person may have and carry. The license must be renewed every five years.
Guns are restricted or banned, with specifics for these firearms listed by the RCMP. The number of registered handguns in Canada increased by 71 per cent between 2010 and 2020, to about 1.1 million, according to federal statistics.
Automatic weapons have been banned from civilians in Canada since 1991, and for the most part it is only legal for the police and military to possess them. Following the 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia, the federal government has announced a ban on more than 1,500 “military-grade assault weapons” models.
What weapons are included and which guns are excluded from the C-21 law?
Handguns included in the C-21 Act are all handguns that meet the definition set forth in the Firearms Act.
The law passed Monday fulfills the Liberal’s 2021 election commitment to require banned military-style rifle owners to resell firearms to the government for destruction or to make them inoperable at federal expense.
The new laws would also ban some toys that look like real weapons, such as airsoft rifles. Last week, Toronto police shot and killed a man carrying a shotgun.
Canada banned the sale and use of some 1,500 models of assault weapons, such as the AR-15 rifle, two years ago following the mass shooting in Portapique, New Zealand, a measure that some gun owners firefighters say they are challenging in court.
The government pledged on Monday to make sure these firearms are automatically banned when they enter the market in the future. “We will continue to work to ensure that any new weapon that meets the definition of assault weapon is captured.”
However, there is no legal definition of a “military-style assault weapon.” Trudeau said the government would try to create one that gun manufacturers cannot easily evade.
What will the assault rifle repurchase program look like?
Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino told a news conference on Monday that the government is also committed to introducing a mandatory assault-style repurchase program. He said the details will be released after consultations with the industry.
The Liberal Party pledged during the 2019 election campaign to introduce a repurchase program for “all military-style assault rifles legally purchased in Canada,” only to design a voluntary, non-mandatory repurchase program, revealed when the C-21 was introduced in early 2021. Legislation died in the order paper when federal elections were called last August.
The original repurchase plan won praise from gun control advocates, but Conservative MPs and others opposed to the idea have suggested that it be aimed at legitimate gun owners rather than preventing gun owners from illegal fire fall into the wrong hands.
When will the new law come into force?
At Monday’s press conference, Mr. Mendicino said the government has introduced changes to the Firearms Act to enforce handgun bans as soon as possible. A statement issued with the announcement of the new bill said the regulations will come into force in the fall of 2022.
Both the minister and the prime minister said they hoped opposition parties would help speed up the passage of the legislation.
Why is this bill being introduced now?
Mendicino said in early March that the government planned to introduce “very proactive” weapons legislation shortly after the previous bill expired with the convening of last summer’s general election. In their 2021 election platform, the Liberals also stated that “US-style armed violence is on the rise” in Canada.
However, the new bill comes amid intense debate over gun safety on both sides of the Canadian-US border following two recent mass shootings: a school shooting killed 19 children and two adults in Uvalde, Texas last week and earlier this week. but the murder of 10 blacks in a Buffalo supermarket.
Mr. Trudeau said Monday that people should feel free to go to a store, birthday party or picnic without worrying about armed violence, but unfortunately the problem has deepened in Canada over the years. . He also referred to the problems in the US, saying: “We just have to look south of the border to know that if we do not act firmly and quickly, it will get worse and more difficult to counter.”
What do critics of the C-21 project say?
Federal Conservatives expressed reservations about the legislation. Raquel Dancho, the party’s public safety critic, said in a statement that gun crimes are on the rise every year, despite existing restrictions. In a Twitter post, he also mentioned that the legislation does not focus on the “root cause” of armed violence in Canadian cities, which he attributed to illegal smuggling into Canada by criminal gangs.
Some mayors said they expected more action on guns, such as Toronto Mayor John Tory and Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante.
AJ Somerset, a hunter and former soldier from Windsor, Ontario, who is also the author of a book on the culture of weapons in North America, said that gun control is valuable and works, but that the proposed measures by the government they will not necessarily stop the violence. affecting several cities.
Ottawa could better solve the problem of gang violence by providing more funding and services to alleviate poverty in cities, Somerset said, adding that the federal government could also legalize some drugs to reduce market-related violence. · Lawful.
Several women’s groups have also recently called on the government to remove the “red flag” provision included in the bill, which was not passed last year. According to the Canadian press, the groups say it is releasing responsibility for law enforcement from the authorities to others, including possible targets of violence.
Read more:
Ottawa will stop arms sales and imports, but does not reach a total ban
Ottawa prepares to introduce new firearms legislation that could revive mandatory assault rifle purchase program
Opinion: Canada has a real problem with armed violence, but it’s not (mostly) what the Liberals want to talk about
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