The Trudeau government has announced plans for some of the largest changes to Canada’s firearm laws seen in many years, with new rules coming regarding handguns, rifles and overall ownership.
Proponents of the changes say they are much needed to help stem a troubling increase in gun-related crimes in Canada, while opponents say the changes will unfairly target lawful gun owners and do little to deter criminals.
As with all major legislative changes, only time will tell if the updates will prove worthwhile or unreasonable. What is known is that in light of the horrific mass shootings that continue to plague the United States, gun control is today rightly garnering wide-spread public interest and generating spirited debate.
For his part, the prime minister says the changes his government is proposing will make Canadian society safer.
“As we see gun violence continue to rise, it is our duty to keep taking action,” said Justin Trudeau. “People should be free to go to the supermarket, their school, or their place of worship, without fear.”
On the other side, Alberta’s chief firearms officer Teri Bryant says the new legislation is an unfair intrusion on the property rights of gun owners.
“The problem with this package of measures is it targets the people who are at the lowest risk of offending and doesn’t do anything about the people who are at the highest risk of offending,” Bryant said.
With its voting deal with the federal NDP firmly in place, the Trudeau Liberals shouldn’t have any trouble passing the major changes to firearms legislation they are now proposing.
Whether the federal Conservatives, currently in the middle of a bitterly contested leadership campaign, and the provincial UCP, with its own leadership battle on the horizon, will be able to do anything to stop the Liberal moves remains an open question.
As in other countries, including the United States, the firearms debate in Canada remains wholly unsettled and deeply divisive. Anyone think that will change anytime soon?
Dan Singleton is an editor with the Albertan.
