Legislation stops short of full handgun ban but sets hard limit on number in Canada
New gun control legislation the federal government tabled today includes a national freeze on the purchase, sale, importation and transfer of handguns in Canada.
The government also is pledging to start buying back thousands of banned assault weapons before the end of the year.
While the proposal falls short of a full ban on handguns, it would effectively limit their number in Canada. “In other words, we’re capping the market for handguns,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a press conference Monday.
“As we see gun violence continue to rise, it is our duty to keep taking action.” Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino presented the bill in the House of Commons Monday.
“The bill we just tabled represents a milestone amidst a long and difficult battle which takes place on our streets every single day,” Mendicino said at the news conference.
“It’s a battle which has claimed too many lives, leaving empty chairs at the dinner
table, and empty desks in our classrooms.”
The legislation revives some federal measures that didn’t pass before last year’s general election and implements some new proposals made during the campaign.
They include taking away firearms licences from those involved in domestic violence or criminal harassment, increasing criminal penalties for smuggling and trafficking of firearms, and a “red flag” law which would require people deemed a threat to themselves or others to turn in their firearms to law enforcement.
The government previously proposed working with provinces and territories to put restrictions on handguns. Trudeau said his government abandoned that idea after
consultations…. Source:cbc.ca
Sunday, April 26, 2026
