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One of the people at the forefront of a new bill freezing handgun sales nationwide was in Regina to address it.
Canada’s minister of public safety, Marco Mendicino, told attendees at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) conference on Thursday that discussion on the bill would begin Friday in Ottawa.
“I can tell you that it’s urgent, so I’m calling on all parliamentarians to read this bill, to debate this bill and to pass this bill as quickly as possible,” he said. “That is exactly why I’m flying back to Ottawa (on Thursday) so that first thing (Friday) morning, we can start the debate on Bill C-21.
“I’ll take a call 24/7. I’ll do whatever it takes, but we need to make sure that we pass this package so that we can better protect our communities.”
If Bill C-21 is passed, it would freeze the purchasing, selling and transferring of handguns across Canada.
The new bill also would take away gun licences from people who were involved in acts of domestic violence or criminal harassment, including stalking. It also would create a new “red flag” law to give courts the power to require people who are considered a danger to themselves or others to surrender their firearms to police.
Mendicino believes the bill would not have an impact on people the way that some are thinking.
“It is important that we come up with a gun policy that does reflect the varying experiences of Canadians from coast to coast,” he said. “And I’ve had some conversations with hunters and recreational sports shooters who indicate that they use long rifles — and this bill does not target them. I want to make that abundantly clear.
“What it does is targets handgun violence, it targets organized crime, it targets domestic violence in conjunction with gun violence and it’s really important that we deal with this now.”
Many gun shop owners in Saskatchewan have expressed frustration with the bill, indicating it could mean the end of their businesses.
Mendicino dismissed those concerns, saying the businesses will find a way to stay afloat.
“I know that there are many who are engaged in the industry of selling guns who will continue to be able to sell guns that are legal, including long rifles, and there are some exemptions for law enforcement and for security in the universe of handguns,” he said. “The market will adjust as it always does.
“My No. 1 priority is to make sure that the federal government is introducing legislation, policy and tools to keep Canadians safe.
“The most recent statistics have shown that there are many reasons why we need to do more and Bill C-21 does reflect common-sense measures that are informed by the perspectives of law enforcement, women’s advocacy groups and Canadians from across the spectrum who say that this is a significant step in the direction towards better protecting our communities.”
The Canadian Coalition of Firearm Rights has said the bill is targeting the wrong people.
Mendicino responded by saying the bill will counter gun smuggling and trafficking by increasing criminal penalties, giving law enforcement personnel more tools to investigate gun-related crimes, and strengthening border measures.
Premier Scott Moe described the new legislation as “nothing more than virtue signalling by the federal government” on Tuesday. He added the provincial government would look for its own solutions if the federal government makes changes that would affect the safety of Saskatchewan residents.
Mendicino believes the bill would strengthen the security for Canadians, saying there are stats to prove it’s necessary.
“This is a substance-based bill, it is based on common sense (and) it is based and informed by the best advice that we have received from many, many stakeholders across the country,” Mendicino added.
“We arrived at this policy after having conversations with law enforcement and I’m very pleased to report that the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police have issued a statement saying that Bill C-21 is a step in the right direction and will better keep communities safe.”
New data presented by Statistics Canada shows gun-related murders have gone up 37 per cent over the past 11 years and handguns were the most commonly used weapon in these crimes.
Regina Police Service Chief Evan Bray was happy to see the government propose a “red flag” law, saying it’s something police forces have been seeking “for quite some time.”
Provincial firearms office weighs in
980 CJME reached out for a comment from Saskatchewan’s chief firearms officer, Robert Freberg, on the bill.
In a written statement, his office said the bill was hypocritical.
“It is hypocritical for the federal government to say they take violent, firearm-related crime seriously when they are currently preparing to eliminate mandatory minimum penalties for several serious firearm-related offences,” the statement read.
“If the federal government thought handguns were causing violent crime in Canada, they would have just outright banned them instead of ‘freezing’ them.
“This is nothing more than a meaningless political maneuver that scapegoats and targets law-abiding citizens, while they work to reduce penalties for dangerous criminals.”
The statement added that the office is reviewing all its options as it relates to opposing the legislation, and that Freberg is closely reviewing the legislation to best mitigate the impact it may cause to lawful firearms owners in Saskatchewan.
“Saskatchewan was not properly consulted on this Bill and we oppose any legislation that takes the rights away from lawful gun owners instead of punishing those who use guns to commit crime,” the statement read.