Trudeau has hinted that additional gun-control measures are on the way

Key Takeaways:

• The Canadian government will enact new gun-control measures “in the coming weeks,” according to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
• The atrocity in the United States serves as a reminder, according to the public safety minister, that “we certainly have a lot of work to do” in Canada.
• In an interview on CTV News Channel’s Power Play on May 25, he pledged “specific actions” that he and other ministers were working on.

Following a tragic mass shooting at a Texas elementary school, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has indicated that new gun-control measures will be implemented “in the coming weeks” by the Canadian government.

The Liberals have reformed Canada’s gun regulations in previous legislatures, including tightening background check procedures and prohibiting more than 1,500 different models and versions of “assault-style” rifles. While some aspects of their plans have yet to materialize—such as their proposed mandatory gun buyback program—Trudeau promised to go even further in the 2021 federal election.

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino has been entrusted with moving through on a range of gun-control measures, such as the recent release of legislation regarding firearm license verifications and company record-keeping, as part of his mandate and in response to Liberal campaign promises.

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In terms of what’s still outstanding from the federal govt, the Liberals have vowed to:

• Maintain the requirement that owners of prohibited firearms sell them back to the government to be destroyed or “made unusable.”

• Proposal to prohibit the sale or transfer of high-capacity magazines that can store more bullets than the legal limit.

• Require that long-gun magazines be permanently modified “to never carry more than five rounds.”

• Donate money to provinces and territories that go ahead and outlaw firearms in their jurisdictions.

• Increase the maximum penalty for smuggling and trafficking of firearms.

• Introduce “red flag laws,” which would allow firearms to be taken away instantly if the possessor is deemed a danger to themselves or others.

The public safety minister said the massacre in the United States serves as a reminder that “we certainly have a lot of work to do” in Canada.

“It’s not simply about enacting sensible and responsible legislation. It’s not only about increasing law enforcement spending… Isn’t it about preventing crime from occurring in the first place?” On May 25, Mendicino stated.

When introducing the “red flag law,” Justice Minister David Lametti has some overlapping responsibilities.

On May 25, he promised “concrete actions” that he and other ministers were working on in an interview on CTV News Channel’s Power Play. However, he did not go into detail about what he was talking about.

On May 25, he promised “concrete actions” that he and other ministers were working on in an interview on CTV News Channel’s Power Play. However, he did not provide specifics on the administration’s plans to do shortly.

“But I can state that there are alternatives for dealing with municipalities on limits under the Firearms Act, which we might work on enforcing with towns. “Of course, there are provisions in the Criminal Code,” Lametti stated. I do not promise anything; all I’m saying is that these are the kinds of discussions that have taken place.”

With just a few weeks left in the House of Commons’ spring session before MPs take a summer break from discussing and passing legislation and other priority issues now going through Parliament, it’s improbable that a new gun-control bill will pass before the fall, as Trudeau has stated.

Given the time it will take for opposition parties to analyze any proposed new legislation, as well as the time it will take to implement any rules resulting from prospective new laws, additional modifications to Canada’s firearm laws may take some time.

Source: CTV News