The Trudeau government again postponed the introduction of a gun-marking regulation to help police find weapons used for criminal purposes, despite the fact that the Liberals had promised the 2015 election campaign to put this in place immediately after taking office.
The federal government announced on Friday that it would postpone the adoption of the regulation, which was to come into effect next month, on December 1, 2020.
He said he needed more time to develop a system to implement the regulation, which was drafted in 2004.
The government added that it would provide more details about the postponement during the month of November.
Gun manufacturers and firearms owners have long opposed this measure.
Under the regulations, weapons manufactured on Canadian soil should bear the name of the manufacturer, a serial number and the words “Canada” or “CA”, while imported weapons should bear the words “Canada” or “CA” and the last two digits of the year of importation.
This measure would help Canada meet the requirements of the United Nations Firearms Protocol and a convention of the Organization of American States.
According to Public Safety Canada, marking would also be useful for national and international police forces trying to trace firearms involved in crime.
In a statement released Friday, the ministry said the government continued “to work toward an effective marking regime that will allow law enforcement officers to effectively trace firearms used for criminal purposes without imposing constraints or undue costs to firearms owners and businesses “.
The previous Conservative government had also postponed the implementation of the regulation several times.
In their election platform, the Liberals said they would implement “immediately” the marking of firearms.
The promise was also part of a document prepared by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the commitments his political party would respect during his first 100 days in office.
The initial deadline of June 1, 2017, however, was extended to December 1, 2018.
At that time, the government had argued that the Conservatives’ abolition of the gun registry must be taken into account before passing the marking regulations.
According to opponents of the measure, the requirement to mark imported weapons would force import companies to purchase equipment or hire another company to tag, which would cost about $ 200 per weapon.
An independent study commissioned by the government, however, found that tagging costs for major Canadian arms manufacturers and importers would range from $ 0 to $ 25 per weapon. It was not possible to assess the impact of the regulation on individuals or small importers.
Keeping communities safe and reducing violent crime are priorities for the Government of Canada.
The current Firearms Marking Regulations under the Firearms Act, which is scheduled to come into force on December 1, 2018, are being deferred until December 1, 2020.
The Government continues to work to develop an effective marking regime that will allow law enforcement officers to effectively trace criminally charged firearms without placing undue burdens or costs on firearms owners. and businesses. Detailed information on the postponement will be available in the Canada Gazette, Part II, on November 28, 2018.
Firearm-related violence and the criminal use of firearms are complex issues and there is no single solution to address them. The Government of Canada has a comprehensive approach to reducing gun violence, including the following:
- an investment of $ 327.6 million over five years and $ 100 million per year thereafter for initiatives to reduce gun and gang violence;
- common sense legislation to strengthen Canada’s firearms laws;
- a summit on gun and gang violence to hear and work with provinces and territories, cities, police services, border officials and community groups ;
- lead advocacy activities on the Reducing Violent Crime Initiative: Dialogue on Handguns and Assault Weapons to identify gaps, challenges and ideas that can help guide further action.
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