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Justin Trudeau announces proposed Canada handgun ‘freeze’
- The law includes a freeze on handguns and measures to fight gun smuggling and trafficking
- Mass shootings in the US, including one in Uvalde, Texas, have reignited debates over gun control
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a proposed freeze on handgun ownership in Canada that would effectively ban their importation and sale, following recent mass shootings in the United States.
The bill must still be passed by Parliament, with the ruling Liberals holding only a minority of seats.
“We’re introducing legislation to implement a national freeze on handgun ownership,” Trudeau told a news conference on Monday, joined by dozens of families and friends of victims of gun violence.
“What this means is that it will no longer be possible to buy, sell, transfer or import handguns anywhere in Canada,” he said. “In other words, we’re capping the market for handguns.”
Days after Canada’s worst mass shooting left 23 dead in rural Nova Scotia in April 2020, the government banned 1,500 types of military-grade or assault-style firearms.
But Trudeau acknowledged Monday that gun violence continues to rise.
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