Liberals Prohibit Handgun Sales/Imports to Licensed Gun Owners

Before business opened this morning, the RCMP Canadian Firearms Centre shut down firearm retailers’ ability to verify Possession and Acquisition Licenses and perform restricted firearm transfers.

This shutdown of verification and transfer services signalled that new restrictions on PAL holders were imminent.

Then the Minister of Public Safety introduced Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms), to Parliament.

“This means,” Marco Mendicino said, “individuals will be prohibited from buying, selling, transferring or importing handguns.”

• Once Royal Assent is obtained for Bill C-21, the sale, transfer and import of handguns will be permanently frozen.
• Until that time, regulatory changes announced today to be implemented by regulation that will temporarily freeze handgun sales until Royal Assent.
• It appears the temporary freeze by Order in Council will take effect in mid-October .
• Permanent magazine restrictions will also be part of this Order in Council according to the Minister’s briefing documents.

Once passed, Bill C-21 will:

• Effectively Confiscate All Legally-Acquired Handguns through “grandfathering.” This slow-motion confiscation requires the destruction of all handguns when an RPAL holder passes away. It appears no compensation will be paid to these owners or their estates.
• Impose a permanent cessation of handgun sales, trades, imports

• Prohibit low power pellet/BB gun “replica” firearms that look like real firearms

• Chief Firearms Officers (CFOs) will be prevented from approving the transfer of handguns to individuals with limited exemptions for high-level shooters (effectively ending Canada’s Olympic shooting program)

• Increase the Maximum Penalty for Gun Smuggling (from 10 to 14 years)

• Additional regulation will be tabled at an unknown time forcing (all) long gun magazines to be permanently altered so they can “never hold more than 5 rounds.” Creates a new criminal offense for altering a magazine to restore it to its original capacity.

• Create new “red flag” law allowing anyone to apply to a judge for an order to immediately remove firearms from an individual.

• Create a new “yellow flag” law allowing Chief Firearms Officers to temporarily suspend an individual’s PAL, prohibit them from using firearms during suspension.

• PAL Owners must surrender all firearms during a legal challenge of a license revocation

While simultaneously claiming to respect licensed firearm owners, the Trudeau Liberal government’s latest attack is not focused on violent criminals, drug dealers and gun smugglers. It’s focused squarely on the shoulders of Canada’s 2.2 million licensed firearm owners.

There was no mention of compensation for firearm businesses with existing inventory that they are prohibited from selling, nor for orders placed with manufacturers and paid for in good faith prior to today’s announcement.

One mainstream media outlet asked, “What difference will this national freeze on handgun sales and transfers actually make to people who are already not playing by the rules?”

In typical Liberal fashion, Justin Trudeau refused to explain how or why his application of more restrictions on licensed firearm owners will prevent criminals from plying their illegal trade in guns.