The federal government’s introduction of new firearms legislation last week is sure to rekindle the long-running debate over gun control in Canada.
Whether the changes will lead to safer Canadian communities remains to be seen.
What is known is that barring a complete change of attitude by either the supporters or opponents of tighter controls, the renewed debate could be long and bitter.
Bill C-71 would make a number of changes to the Firearms Act and the Criminal Code, while repealing some changes made by the previous Conservative government.
The bill would reportedly enhance background checks for anyone wanting to purchase a firearm, including the ability of officials to look at background information from throughout the potential purchaser’s lifetime.
The checks would consider past criminal convictions, whether the purchaser has been treated for mental illness associated with violence, and whether the person has a history of violence.
As well, commercial gun shop owners will be required to retain information about gun sales and inventory for at least 20 years, including the serial number of every firearm sold.
For his part, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the changes would make Canada safer.
“The government is taking action for common sense gun control, better background checks, and safer communities, while protecting the rights of laws-abiding gun owners,” he said.
Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale added, “We have taken a practical, common sense, respectful approach in putting this (legislation) together. There will be those on one side who will say it’s not enough and those on the other side who will say it is too much.”
On the other side, Conservative House Leader Candice Bergen said the government is “trying to create a backdoor (gun) registry by requiring retail outlets to keep records about their sales and inventory. We are wondering who is going to be able to access this information and under what means.”
The gun-control debate in Canada has been going on for decades – and these proposed changes promise yet another round.
- Singleton is the Mountain View Gazette editor
