(Regina) The federal public safety minister says the nation’s gun law reform bill does not target farmers or other rural gun owners who use firearms at recreational purposes or to help keep animals away from their properties.
Posted at 5:09 p.m.
Marco Mendicino met with community leaders Thursday in Regina at the annual conference of big city mayors. He said it was important for the federal government to implement firearms policies that reflect the different experiences of Canadians.
Mr Mendicino also said he had spoken to recreational hunters and shooters to clarify that the bill introduced in Parliament this week was not intended for them.
The bill, due to be debated in Ottawa on Friday, calls for a freeze on the buying, selling and trading of handguns as a way to address gun violence.
The reform would also require long-gun magazines to be permanently modified so that they can never hold more than five rounds and would ban the sale and transfer of high-capacity magazines.
It would also give police new wiretap powers to help stop gun trafficking.
“It targets gun violence, targets organized crime, targets domestic violence in conjunction with firearms,” Mendicino said Thursday.
“It is important that we take care of this now. Canada is not immune to gun violence,” he added.