Canada’s federal government is seeking to cap market sales for handguns as part of Bill C-21, legislation brought forward on Monday that seeks to build on previous efforts that failed to pass before the 2021 Canadian federal election.
“What this means is that it will no longer be possible to buy, sell, transfer, or import handguns anywhere in Canada,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during a May 30 news conference. “In other words, we're capping the market for handguns.”
Also included in the proposed legislation was the reintroduction of ‘red flags’ and ‘yellow flags,’ which represent those who have been deemed a danger to themselves, or others, and restricted from purchasing or accessing firearms.
“We recognize that the vast majority of gun owners use them safely and in accordance with the law, but other than using firearms for sport shooting and hunting, there is no reason anyone in Canada should need guns in their everyday lives,” the Canadian prime minister added.
Mendicino, the country’s public safety minister, pointed out that Canada has an estimated one million handguns in circulation–a figure that has drastically increased in the past decade.
“Gun violence is a complex problem," Trudeau said. "But at the end of the day, the math is really quite simple: the fewer the guns in our communities, the safer everyone will be.”
Those found guilty of domestic violence or stalking may have their firearms license revoked under the proposed legislation, which also calls for a formalized mandatory buyback program for “assault-style” weapons.
The current buyback process is slated to be voluntary and was laid out following the 2021 banning of 1,500 types of military-grade and assault-style firearms.