Our government has introduced strengthened gun control measures to build on our commitment to combat gun violence and help increase public safety. In 2019 we passed legislation to strengthen background checks, and last May we prohibited firearms such as assault rifles that were designed for the battlefield. Yesterday, we brought forth our new measures to propose further action to target gun violence and criminal activity in Canada.

The newly strengthened gun control measures include the following:

• Combat intimate partner and gender-based violence, and self-harm involving firearm, through “red flag” and “yellow flag” laws to allow concerned friends or relatives to apply to the courts for the immediate removal of an individual’s firearms, or a suspension and review of an individual’s licence to own firearms
• Fight gun smuggling and trafficking through increased criminal penalties, and enhance the capacity of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Canada Border Services Agency to combat the illegal importation of firearms
• Support municipalities that ban handguns through by-laws restricting storage and transportation in their jurisdictions, with individuals in violation of these municipal by-laws subject to federal penalties
• Help municipalities and Indigenous communities fund youth programs that offer opportunities and resources to avoid criminal behaviour
• Complete the prohibition of assault-style firearms to ensure these weapons cannot be legally used, transported, sold, transferred, or bequeathed in Canada, and move forward with a buyback program to safely remove these firearms from our communities

We will continue to take action to help save lives, create safer communities and protect the health and safety of all Canadians.

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PUBLIC SAFETY: INFO ON BILL C-21