OTTAWA –
The new measures to restrict the use of pistols are expected to be a central feature of federal legislation introduced this afternoon, the latest – and perhaps the boldest – package of proposed actions by the Liberal government to control access to firearms in Canada.
Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino will present the bill after a daily period of questioning before joining Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and supporting voices, including some mayors from across the country, for a press conference at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa.
The law will revive some federal measures that were not passed before last year’s general election and will present new proposals made during the next campaign.
These include the mandatory repurchase of weapons that the government considers offensive-style firearms, repression of high-capacity firearms cartridges, and efforts to combat arms smuggling.
Liberals have also promised to work with provinces and territories that want to ban guns.
Although the bill does not provide for a national ban, the government can take steps in this direction by phasing out gun ownership by limiting the number of firearms licenses, banning the import and production of new pistols or introducing stricter rules. for storage.
The well-known arms control advocacy group PolySeSouvient has criticized the government’s approach of leaving the gun ban to individual provinces, saying it would create an ineffective mix of rules in Canada.
Trudeau defended the approach last week, citing “a variety of opinions and views across the country”.
Speaking of the shooting at Rob Elementary School, which killed 19 children and two adults in Uwalde, Texas, Trudeau said Canadians were “remarkably united” in their desire to reduce gun violence “at home”.
“This unity is what we will move forward with as we take new steps in the coming weeks with regard to arms control,” Trudeau told a news conference in Saskatchewan last Tuesday.
The ban on attack-style firearms – the government’s leading promise to control weapons so far – includes moving forward to mandatory repurchases of models banned by the government in May 2020.
The plan has garnered praise from gun control advocates, but Conservative lawmakers and others who oppose the plan have suggested it targets legitimate gun owners instead of preventing illegal firearms from falling into the wrong hands.
The repurchase will cover about 1,500 models of firearms, which the government has banned by order of the council on the grounds that they have no place in hunting or sport shooting.
But some such models remain legal, and advocates of gun control say Canadian manufacturers have circumvented the rules by introducing new firearms.
PolySeSouvient called on the government to change the firearms classification system to remove loopholes and capture all current and future weapons that fall into the category.
Several women’s groups also called on the government to repeal the provision in the previous iteration of the bill, which called on potential victims to seek a court order to deprive a pursuer or abuser of their weapons.
The National Association of Women and the Law and several other groups warned in a letter to Mendicino this month that the so-called red flag provision shifts responsibility for implementing the gun law from the authorities to others, including possible targets of violence.
“There is no support for withdrawing or undermining the responsibility of law enforcement and other government officials to enforce gun laws,” the letter said.
“Citizens or other organizations, much less potential victims, should not be expected to take risks by going to court to seek action that must be immediate and within the direct responsibility of the police. .
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on May 30, 2022
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