In the aftermath of mass shooting in Toronto, is the Liberal Firearms Reform Bill balanced? – National



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When Parliament returns from a summer vacation this fall, the Liberal Firearms Bill will be one of the big issues on the agenda

But at the Following a deadly shootout in Toronto that killed two people and injured 13 others, the tragedy appears to be an example of the difficulties in attempting to regulate firearms activities when the number of arms illegally obtained from Canada appears to be increasing, unlike those that can reasonably be intercepted by border traffickers.

MORE: Why Danforth shooter is not likely to own his weapon legally

A police source told Global News that the weapon used in the shootings had already been stolen from a drug store. weapons from Saskatchewan two years ago. What do the changes to Canadian firearms laws mean?

Armed violence cases are not all linked to an illegal weapon. In fact, many of them – including the shooting of the Quebec mosque – use legally owned firearms. Already, however, the attack raises questions about what can or should be done to crack down.

So what can be done to regulate the weapons used by people who seem to operate outside the legal system

WATCH BELOW: Goodale highlights four key issues that are not addressed in the bill C-71






This question seems to dominate the discussion of Bill C-71 on firearms reform in the coming months. Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said in response to the call of Toronto Mayor John Tory to ban handguns in the city and that the government is ready to consider tightening the current rules on handguns

. but a spokesman for the minister has hinted that more details will be presented this fall

READ MORE: Real: Are Liberals Bringing the Firearms Registry Back With a Reform Bill

? Hilary Pierce, Goodale's spokesperson, said the minister was ready to explore the ideas.

"We are also considering additional measures to minimize gun violence and expect to discuss with provincial and territorial counterparts, particularly with respect to mental illness and the safe storage of firearms. firearms, this fall. "

LOOK BELOW: 3D Printed Weapons Are Coming to America: Is Canada Coming Soon?" The bill waiting for a third reading in the House of Commons does a number of things, include allowing officials to badess the application for a firearms license to badess the entire life of an applicant for spousal abuse, mental illness and criminality

at l. 39 At the present time, they can only go back five years.

READ MORE: Should Canada Ban Handguns? The Debate Stirs After Danforth's Mbad Shot

Yet, there are challenges, because the onus is on the applicant to obtain mental health diagnoses unless someone else reports it to the evaluators.

C-71, the draft law on the guns of the liberals, would not change anything to this specific issue.

WATCH BELOW: S Attack on






In addition, nothing in the current bill answers the question raised by Tory, namely, that there should be a ban on handguns in urban areas

. In the Senate this fall, it is expected that it is question of whether it should be amended to reduce the amount of paperwork that critics say is imposing on firearms owners. and take more specific action with respect to illegal firearms. Global News has reached out to all members of the Senate National Security Committee, which will be reviewing the bill.

Only two responded that they were considering amendments to strengthen the bill.

Canadians – not Americans – More Likely to Introduce Illegal Guns in Canada: Border Agency

"In the midst of these tragedies, we are awakened to the human costs of demolishing Canadian laws. gun control, "said Sen. Marilou McPhedran, a member of the Independent Senators Group on the Senate National Security Committee, when asked if she plans to propose such an amendment.

"Local leaders like Mayor Tory are warning us of the terrible cost if we do not take action as legislators. I am drafting amendments and I will wait now to see what Minister Goodale is prepared to do, but I have no doubt that the current version of Bill C-71 needs to be better protected. "

Another said that the concerns not only of gun owners, but also of the police and other stakeholders will have to be taken into account.

" I can not speak on behalf of my colleagues. However, it is clear to me that the federal government needs to take more concrete steps to address the root causes of gun violence. We must not only focus on gangs, crime, and arms trafficking, but also reduce existing poverty and inequality, factors that contribute to the widespread violence we face today, "he said. Conservative Senator Victor Oh

. While some of the changes proposed by this law are positive, including more rigorous background checks for license applicants, more needs to be done to balance the concerns of not only law-abiding gun owners. but also the police, victims' groups and public security.

LOOK BELOW: Does the ban on handguns have an impact on crime?






Opposition critics have argued since the introduction of the bill in March 2018 that "Nothing in Bill C-71 will address gang violence and gun violence on our streets. either in Toronto or Winnipeg. , Ottawa, Montreal or Vancouver. That will do nothing to stop it, "said James Bezan, Conservative Defense Critic, during the debate on the bill on June 19, 2018.

" We know that criminals n & # Do not register their firearms. We know that criminals do not buy their firearms at Cabela's or any other store that sells firearms. It's a ridiculous idea and a silly policy to impose a burden on the legal owners of firearms, to overload our outlets that sell firearms with additional red tape.

Bill Blair, the new government minister for organized crime and border security "I think we really need to focus on the weapons that fall into the hands of criminals and people," he added. "The causes and solutions to violence are varied and I think it's really important that we are open to all cases. avenue we can take. "

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