Revamped Liberal attempt to ban assault-style firearms would apply to future models
The Liberal government is proposing a ban on assault-style firearms that would apply once legislation now before Parliament comes into force.
Under the scheme, the government would make regulations through the Firearms Act to ensure that guns are classified correctly before entering the Canadian market.
It also plans to revive a firearms advisory committee of interested groups and individuals that will make recommendations on the classification of guns now on the market.
The announcement Monday is the latest effort by the Trudeau government to restrict access to guns the Liberals say are unfit for hunting or sport shooting.
The Liberals withdrew a gun bill amendment in February that would have spelled out in law the various models to fall under an assault-style firearm ban.
They had touted the definition as an evergreen measure that would cement in legislation a May 2020 regulatory ban of some 1,500 firearm models and variants, including the AR-15, as well as 482 others flagged subsequently.
The government pulled the measure after weeks of criticism from Conservative MPs and some firearm advocates who said the definition would prohibit many commonly used hunting rifles and shotguns.
Gun-control advocates said the effort was clouded by confusing language and misleading or erroneous claims from opponents.
After several days of behind-the-scenes negotiations, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino outlined the revamped federal approach Monday. "We're here today because this is a government that does what it takes to keep Canadians safe," he told reporters.
Prominent gun-control group PolySeSouvient swiftly denounced the plan, accusing the government of proposing a watered-down definition that would apply only to future models and could be easily circumvented.
It also expressed dismay that the government is dropping its plan to ban the additional 482 assault-style models identified last year, leaving them in circulation and available for purchase. Among these is the Simonov SKS, which has been used in police killings and other high-profile shootings.
PolySeSouvient, which includes survivors of the 1989 mass shooting at Montreal's Ecole Polytechnique, said the government appears to have capitulated to the demands of the NDP to secure the party's support for the bill.
Mendicino made no apologies. "What families and workers and communities expect of our government is that we make this Parliament work, that we work as much as possible with our colleagues across the aisle," he said.
Mendicino also singled out the Conservatives for steadfastly opposing the gun bill.
The Tories said Monday the Liberals were continuing the largest assault on hunters in Canadian history. "Make no mistake, today's announcement is simply the original amendments in a 'new' package. Hunters, farmers, Indigenous Canadians and sport shooters will not be fooled."
In response to PolySeSouvient's criticism, NDP public safety critic Peter Julian defended the government's planned approach, stressing the need to make sure that assault-style firearms "don't come into the market in the first place."
In terms of scope, the newly proposed definition of assault-style firearm is largely similar to the one that was withdrawn. It would include a firearm that is not a handgun that discharges centre-fire ammunition in a semi-automatic manner and that was originally designed with a detachable magazine with a capacity of six cartridges or more.
However, the definition would cover only firearms designed and manufactured after the bill, known as C-21, comes into force. It would not affect the classification of existing firearms in the Canadian market, the government says.
PolySeSouvient co-ordinator Heidi Rathjen said it would be possible for manufacturers to get around the definition by introducing a firearm with a design that initially meets the criteria in the law, only to tweak the design later to accept more cartridges. "And it won't be captured by the definition because it only applies to the original design."
Nathalie Provost, a spokeswoman for the gun-control group, once sat on the firearms advisory committee but quit in 2019, saying she was disappointed with the Liberal government's failure to crack down on assault-style firearms.
"I've been on that committee, and we never decided anything," said Provost, who was shot four times at Ecole Polytechnique.
Another voice for stricter firearm laws, Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns, welcomed the proposed amendments to the bill.
"This policy reflects the well-documented scientific evidence that demonstrates comprehensive assault weapon bans saves lives, and specifically, significantly reduces both the frequency of mass shootings and the number of victims," the group said in a statement.
"Proposed amendments to Bill C-21 will go a long way to fulfilling the original intentions of the bill."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2023.
IN DEPTH
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
'Democracy requires constant vigilance' Trudeau testifies at inquiry into foreign election interference in Canada
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testified Wednesday before the national public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada's electoral processes, following a day of testimony from top cabinet ministers about allegations of meddling in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. Recap all the prime minister had to say.
As Poilievre sides with Smith on trans restrictions, former Conservative candidate says he's 'playing with fire'
Siding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her proposed restrictions on transgender youth, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed Wednesday that he is against trans and non-binary minors using puberty blockers.
Supports for passengers, farmers, artists: 7 bills from MPs and Senators to watch in 2024
When parliamentarians return to Ottawa in a few weeks to kick off the 2024 sitting, there are a few bills from MPs and senators that will be worth keeping an eye on, from a 'gutted' proposal to offer a carbon tax break to farmers, to an initiative aimed at improving Canada's DNA data bank.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
'A huge difference': These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
OPINION No reunion between Prince Harry and the King signifies a setback for royal unity
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they're now named Scouting America
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
NEW For their protection, immigrants critical of China and India call for speedy passage of Canada's foreign interference legislation
Canadian immigrants threatened by hostile regimes are urging parliamentarians to quickly pass the 'Countering Foreign Interference Act' so they can feel safe living in their adopted home.
Spanish prosecutors recommend 2nd investigation into Shakira's taxes be thrown out
Spanish state prosecutors recommended Wednesday that an investigating judge shelve a probe into another alleged case of tax fraud by pop star Shakira.
Local Spotlight
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Investigating the tale of Winnipeg's long-running mystery bookstore
Whether passionate about Poirot or hungry for Holmes, Winnipeg mystery obsessives have had a local haunt for over 30 years in which to search out their latest page-turners.
'Love has no boundaries': Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Twin Alberta Ballet dancers retire after 15 years with company
Alberta Ballet's double-bill production of 'Der Wolf' and 'The Rite of Spring' marks not only its final show of the season, but the last production for twin sisters Alexandra and Jennifer Gibson.
Video shows gaggle of geese stopping traffic on Highway 1 near Vancouver
A mother goose and her goslings caused a bit of a traffic jam on a busy stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway near Vancouver Saturday.
B.C. mayor stripped of budget, barred from committees over Indigenous residential schools book
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Three Quebec men from same family father hundreds of children
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
Here's how one of Sask.'s largest power plants was knocked out for 73 days, and what it took to fix it
A group of SaskPower workers recently received special recognition at the legislature – for their efforts in repairing one of Saskatchewan's largest power plants after it was knocked offline for months following a serious flood last summer.
Quebec police officer anonymously donates kidney, changes schoolteacher's life
A police officer on Montreal's South Shore anonymously donated a kidney that wound up drastically changing the life of a schoolteacher living on dialysis.