Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday proposed freezing the possession of firearms in the country, which in practice could ban the importation and sale of weapons, a week after a mass shooting. have left 21 dead in a school in the neighboring country, the United States.
Trudeau told reporters the new measures were necessary in a context where gun violence is on the rise. “You only have to look south of the border to know that if we don’t act firmly and quickly, it’s going to get worse and worse and harder to fight,” he said.
The bill, which resurrects some measures shelved last year amid national elections, is part of a package that could also ban some weapons-shaped toys and needs to go through Parliament, where liberals, governing bodies, are a minority.
If approved, “it will no longer be possible to buy, sell, transfer or import handguns [pistolas e revólveres] anywhere in Canada,” said Trudeau, who attended the press conference accompanied by dozens of families and victims of gun violence. “In other words, we are limiting the market for handguns.”
The government had already banned the carrying of 1,500 models of assault weapons, such as the AR-15 rifle, days after the worst shooting in Canada left 23 dead in a rural Nova Scotia town in April 2020. is being challenged in court by some gun owners.
The current freeze proposal makes exceptions for snipers, Olympic athletes and security guards. Canadians who already own handguns would be allowed to keep them.
Government officials have told media they do not expect a rush to buy weapons before the proposal is voted on, in part because they are already heavily regulated.
With legislation more restrictive than that of the United States, Canada has a firearm homicide rate that is less than one-fifth that of the United States. But the Canadian rate is higher than that of other rich countries and has been increasing — in 2020, it was five times higher than that of Australia, for example.
According to the government statistics agency, the number of violent crimes involving firearms in Canada was less than 3% of the total. But since 2009, the per capita rate of guns being pointed at someone has nearly tripled, while the rate of firearms being fired with the intent to kill or injure has quintupled.
Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino estimated that there are about 1 million handguns in Canada, significantly higher than a decade ago.
“People should be free to go to the supermarket, school or their place of worship without fear,” Trudeau declared.
“Gun violence is a complex problem. But at the end of the day, the math is really simple: the fewer guns in our communities, the safer everyone will be.”
Although Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the legislation could be passed with the support of the left-wing New Democratic Party.
Trudeau’s proposal would prevent anyone who has been involved in domestic violence or stalking from obtaining or maintaining a firearms license.
It would also ban real-looking toy guns, like airsoft rifles. Last week, Toronto police shot and killed a man who was carrying such a weapon.
“As they look like real firearms, the police need to treat them as if they were real. This has led to tragic consequences,” Justice Minister David Lametti told reporters.
