QUESTION PERIOD — Public Safety
Bill C-21
February 17, 2021
Honourable senators, yesterday the government introduced Bill C-21, which has been met with some criticism from both those who are in favour of more restrictions on guns and from those who are in favour of fewer restrictions.
I would like to address the criticisms raised by Senator Dagenais, which I’m not sure he is using to support his point, that PolySeSouvient, la Fédération québécoise des municipalités, the Mayor of Toronto and the families of the Danforth shooting victims are all asking for a complete ban on handguns across the country in order to ensure uniformity and better protection for Canadians. Is the government willing to consider these criticisms and to adjust this bill accordingly?
Thank you for your question, senator. The government is certainly aware of these criticisms. The government has been consulting with mayors, police departments and stakeholders in the development of this project. As the senator knows well and as I stated in my previous response, these are challenging issues for a country this large and diverse. This government is always open to suggestions for improvements of the laws. As I said, I fully expect that these issues will be raised, both in the other place and here, when the bill proceeds through the legislative process.
