Justin Trudeau’s government outlined on Monday how it now wants to enshrine in Bill C-21 a definition of prohibited assault weapons in order to close loopholes, a roadmap that is considered a “setback” by PolySeSouvient and other groups.
The Minister of Public Security, Marco Mendicino, lifted the veil on the new version of amendments to this effect. The Liberals backed down last February after a first attempt at a comprehensive definition that sparked outcry.
Hunters and members of indigenous communities feared that weapons used for hunting were targeted after seeing a long list of models that had caused confusion and concern.
This time, the Trudeau government backed away from the idea of including a list in its amendments and instead put forward a technical definition. This includes semi-automatic weapons and those originally designed with detachable magazines that can hold six or more rounds.
” [Cette définition] provides the clarity that gun owners need and the protection that gun control activists have long demanded,” the minister said in a press briefing.
He repeated, on several occasions, that the goal is not to punish hunters, assuring that the government understands that the practice of hunting is often transmitted from generation to generation.
Minutes later, shooting survivors and advocates for tougher gun control ripped into pieces Mr. Mendicino’s proposed changes.
Nathalie Provost, who survived the Polytechnique shooting in Montreal, said she was extremely angry. “Today, we have a significant, complete setback,” she said, adding that she felt betrayed.
PolySeSouvient is particularly against the fact that the definition proposed by the Liberals will apply to weapons that are not yet on the market, but not to those that are already there.
“So the weapons that exist, that are on the market and that have not been captured by the 2020 list, continue to be on sale and accessible,” argued Ms. Provost.
On this point, Mr. Mendicino indicated that the Canadian Firearms Advisory Committee will be back. This group, which was set up in 2017 to help Ottawa reform its firearms policies, will advise the government on the process of classifying the different models.
The minister also said he wants to take additional measures to tackle weapons that have high capacity magazines.
Mr. Mendicino indicated that amendments to C-21 will also be presented in order to counter the phenomenon of “ghost firearms” which are difficult to trace since they have no serial number and are assembled by their user.
Last week, Mr. Mendicino pointed out that the new amendments to C-21 will force the arms manufacturers to play their part when they put, for example, new models on the market.
“I think there is an opportunity to look at an amendment that will tighten up Bill C-21 so that manufacturers are required to work with authorities in the classification of weapons, including those who could fall under the definition of prohibited weapons,” he explained when testifying before the public safety committee.
Moreover, it is before this committee that the amendments presented Monday by Mr. Mendicino will be tabled by Liberal members. The clause-by-clause study of Bill C-21 was interrupted when, more than two months ago, the Trudeau government backtracked on these amendments at the source of an outcry.
The provisions withdrawn were intended to reinforce the ban decreed in 2020 for around 1,500 models and variants of this type of weapon. The Liberals have promised to include in C-21 a definition of assault weapons that will prevent manufacturers from circumventing this ban.
Bill C-21 also contains measures that would strengthen the freezing of handguns. The legislation would also revoke firearms licenses for those who commit domestic violence or engage in stalking, as well as increase maximum penalties for smuggling and trafficking firearms from 10 to 14 years old.