On Monday, the Canadian government tabled Bill C-21 in the House of Commons aimed at prohibiting the import, sale and transfer of handguns in Canada. According to the government, this measure would aim to tackle the numerous incidents of armed violence that have recently occurred in major Canadian cities, including Montreal.
Posted at 10:00 a.m.
Following a detailed analysis of the bill, it is clear that the government is completely on the wrong track and that, once again, it refuses to tackle the underlying problem and instead prefers to adopt measures that are seemingly drastic, but totally miss the mark. Indeed, the government attacks individuals who acquire handguns legally and use them for legal purposes, but it does almost nothing (except a slight stiffening of the penalties attached to certain offences) to attack the root of the gun violence problem is the illegal gun market and the activities of criminal groups.
A fact that many people do not know is that, since 1998, possession of any firearm has been a criminal offense in Canada. However, the law currently allows individuals who hold a license and, in the case of handguns, a registration certificate, to possess such weapons. These are not mere formalities. Thus, a handgun license applicant must not only have undergone training, but must also undergo and pass a thorough examination of their life history by law enforcement authorities. Any criminal activity, any mental health problem associated with violence, any history of violence or any association with criminal circles should, assuming the police are doing their job properly, lead to the refusal or revocation of the firearms license .
The legal possession of handguns is already subject to many restrictions, both in terms of authorized places of possession, transportation, storage and use of such weapons. In short, it is already legally impossible for a minor or a criminalized individual to acquire, possess or carry a handgun. And yet, they do!
Minors and members of criminal circles do not acquire their handguns from the local gunsmith. They do it on the black market, at prices that are four or five times the normal value of these weapons.
These handguns, with rare exceptions, enter the country through illicit channels and are distributed through equally illicit means. I point out in passing that the channels through which these illegal weapons travel, seaports, borders and cross-border aboriginal reserves, are all under federal jurisdiction. Bill C-21 ignores this reality.
Closing the already highly restrictive legal handgun market will make almost no difference to the level of gun violence. The problem lies elsewhere. The Canadian government is therefore using a smokescreen to make us believe that it is acting for our safety. In short, he takes us for fools. If you believe him and trust him, you prove him right.