MONTRÉAL, Québec (CU)_The Canadian government has decided to permit cities in the country to ban handguns, and to initiate a new federal buy-back programme, in order to get firearms off of the streets.
This will be a part of a federal legislation which expands on a Cabinet order issued last year, prohibiting “military-style assault weapons” nationally.
“You can’t fight gun violence or any violence on just one front,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, during a press conference on Tuesday (Feb 16). “You can’t fight it without addressing its root causes.”
The legislation would allow municipalities to create bylaws that would make the storage, transportation and possession of handguns illegal, and would increase penalties for illegal activities such as gun trafficking and importing of ammunition. Moreover, the bill would also grant the authority to the Chief Firearms Officer of each province to suspend or revoke gun licenses if there are “reasonable grounds to suspect” that an individual is no longer eligible to maintain their license.
According to PM Trudeau, the buy-back program for firearms will be introduced “in the coming weeks”.
“Gun ownership in Canada, in this country, is a privilege and not a right,” Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said. “It’s a privilege that’s predicated on the strict adherence to our laws, our regulations, and our restrictions.”
Meanwhile, police and border officials will be granted additional authority to share registration and licensing details to investigate cases involving firearms, particularly those which are linked to gun smuggling along Canada’s southern border with the United States.
“Canadians called for these bold steps, we heard you and we are taking action,” the Prime Minister said.
