Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Skip to main content

Liberals plan to bring in 'proactive' firearms legislation soon: Mendicino

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino rises during Question Period in Ottawa on Feb. 17, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino rises during Question Period in Ottawa on Feb. 17, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Share
Ottawa -

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says the Liberal government will soon introduce new gun-control legislation.

Mendicino told the House of Commons public safety committee Tuesday the bill will be "very proactive," though he did not provide specifics on timing or elements of the legislation.

The move could revive some federal measures that did not pass before last year's general election and flesh out new proposals made during the subsequent campaign.

The Liberals have promised a mandatory buyback of banned guns they consider assault-style firearms.

They have also pledged to work with any province or territory that wants to ban handguns, earmarking at least $1 billion for the effort.

The Liberals have also said they will crack down on high-capacity firearm magazines and do more to combat gun smuggling.

The proposed buyback program would make it mandatory for owners of a wide variety of banned firearms, including the Ruger Mini-14 used in the 1989 École Polytechnique shooting, to either sell them back to the government or have them rendered inoperable at federal expense.

The proposal has won applause from gun-control advocates but the fierce disapproval of some firearm owners and Conservative MPs.

At the committee meeting, Liberal MP Taleeb Noormohamed asked Mendicino what he would say to those who believe that gun buybacks and further enforcement amount to an attack on innocent, law-abiding civilians.

Mendicino said the Liberals would deliver "responsible and strong gun control to protect our communities."

The buyback of guns is an essential tool to get firearms "which have no business in our communities — because they only have one purpose, which is to kill people — off our streets," he said. "And that's our commitment and we're going to make good on it."

In Canada, it is illegal to make guns without the required firearms business licence. As a result, it is a crime to create a gun at home, for instance with a 3D printer or various components, without authorization.

The Canada Border Services Agency says it works closely with the RCMP and other partners to stop prohibited and undeclared firearms, as well as firearm parts, from entering Canada.

RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki told the committee she would welcome additional measures to prevent people from making their own guns at home, saying, "we need to get those off the street."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 1, 2022.

IN DEPTH

Opinion

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

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

The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.

A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.

Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.

A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

Stay Connected