OTTAWA -- A prominent gun-control group is urging MPs to legislatively enshrine a comprehensive ban on firearms the government outlawed using regulatory orders more than two years ago.
The Liberals banned some 1,500 models and variants of firearms, including the AR-15 and Ruger Mini-14, through an order-in-council in May 2020 on the grounds they have no place in hunting or sport shooting.
Appearing at the House of Commons public safety committee today, PolySeSouvient says a comprehensive ban on all such firearms, including some not covered in the 2020 ban, must be built into a bill MPs are studying.
The group says this "evergreen" measure should be accompanied by new regulations that create a pre-authorization process for models coming onto the market.
The process would ensure that only those firearms specifically deemed "non-restricted" or "restricted" and given a Firearm Reference Number by the RCMP would be legal.
As for the banned firearms, a buyback program now being planned would require owners to either sell these to the government or have them rendered inoperable at federal expense.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 1, 2022.
