Firearms Control Bill
On May 30, the Parliament of Canada passed its first reading.
Two years ago, Canada banned more than 1500 models of firearms. Last year, they tightened gun ownership laws, expanding d background checks.
The Trudeau government wants to introduce new gun control measures.
- A national moratorium on firearms — prohibiting the importation of newly acquired firearms into Canada, as well as the purchase, sale and transfer of firearms within the country.
- Taking away firearms licenses from those who have committed domestic violence or stalked someone.
- Combating smuggling and illicit arms trafficking — increasing criminal penalties, giving law enforcement agencies additional tools to investigate crimes involving firearms, and strengthening border security measures.
- The creation of a new "red flag" law that would allow courts to require that individuals deemed dangerous to themselves or others surrender their firearms to law enforcement. A gun owner could be assessed as dangerous, for example, by a statement from his or her loved ones. The government intends to spend $6.6 million CAD to raise awareness of the new law among vulnerable and marginalized groups.
- Changing the magazines of long guns so that they cannot hold more than five rounds, and prohibiting the sale and transfer of magazines of greater capacity.
Tracy Wilson, vice-president of public affairs for the Canadian Coalition for Gun Rights, criticized the bill and the Trudeau government's very approach to the issue. This is not the first time the government has responded swiftly to mass shootings with firearms in Canada and the United States, but most of the measures introduced and proposed are aimed at regulating legal firearms. It turns out that the government creates more problems for law-abiding hunters, but does almost nothing to combat urban crime.
