Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced a plan to pass a new law to implement a “national freeze” on gun ownership, and a ban on people buying and selling weapons anywhere in the country.
Concerns about armed violence
“The day this legislation goes into effect it will no longer be possible to buy, sell, transfer or import handguns in Canada,” Trudeau told, reported by The Guardian .
If adopted, the ban is expected to take effect in the fall. Canada’s public security minister has submitted regulatory changes to parliament to ensure swift implementation, the ministry said in a statement.
Last week’s killing of 18 children and three adults at a Texas elementary school in the United States has raised concerns about gun violence around the world. Canada already has significantly stronger restrictions on gun ownership than its southern neighbor.
Modified rifle frames
The new bill also proposes revoking firearms licenses for those involved in acts of domestic violence or criminal harassment, such as stalking.
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The government will also demand that the frames for long rifles be permanently modified so that they can never contain more than five bullets, and will ban the sale and transfer of high-capacity cartridges.
“Apart from using firearms for sport shooting and hunting, there is no reason for anyone in Canada to need a weapon in their daily lives,” Trudeau said.
