The Trudeau government goes further than its election promise and announces that it intends to ban the purchase, sale and import of handguns on Canadian territory. The Prime Minister also wants an increase in the maximum criminal penalties for the illegal importation of firearms and says that “more tools” would be given to the police to investigate crimes committed with firearms.
The bill, called “An Act to amend certain Acts and other enactments in consequence (firearms),” was introduced by Prime Minister Trudeau on Monday along with Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino.
“Over the years, I’ve been to too many vigils. I have met the loved ones of too many victims, ”he said Justin Trudeau.
The announcement does not correspond exactly to what the Government of Quebec or the City of Montreal asked for, but nevertheless goes further than the last electoral promises of the Liberal Party in terms of legislation on firearms. Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante repeated her call last week for the federal government to ban handguns in the country once and for all.
The Government of Quebec has also stressed that it is “urgent” for Ottawa to ban these weapons from coast to coast, a request that has achieved consensus in the National Assembly, as evidenced by a unanimous motion in February 2021.
More details will follow.
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