QUESTION PERIOD — Public Safety
Firearms Legislation
December 4, 2025
Honourable senators, my question is for Senator Moreau.
This question is asked in recognition of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence.
In December 2023, Parliament adopted Bill C-21 with a clear safeguard: Anyone subject to a protection order in the context of domestic violence would be ineligible to hold a firearm’s licence while that order is in effect. Recall that 96% of Canadians in a national survey conducted in 2023 support this.
Two years later, women’s organizations, including the National Association of Women and the Law, report that this provision has still not been brought into force and that the proposed regulations would further weaken it by limiting it mainly to civil protection orders and by applying key licence bans only to future convictions.
Senator, can you explain why the government hasn’t implemented this safeguard to date? When will the government commit to a firm timeline for bringing these provisions of Bill C-21 into force?
Thank you. It is an important question. Bill C-21 is part of the Government of Canada’s comprehensive plan to strengthen gun control in Canada and keep Canadians safe from gun violence. I understand that most measures for implementing former Bill C-21 are now in effect.
To your specific question, I have been informed that implementation of the measure requiring revocation and refusal of firearm licences for those subject to a protection order is ongoing. Although I do not have an exact date for you, this work has been included as part of the Forward Regulatory Plan: 2024-2026. I would be happy to have my office share that plan with you as soon as we receive it.
Thank you. Over this two-year period, at least 11 women and girls have been killed by intimate partner gun violence in Canada. Guns and domestic violence are a lethal combination. Why is the government proposing to narrow the scope of the legislation, which, I believe, is contrary to Parliament’s intent? Thank you.
To your question, senator, I’m not aware of any intention to limit the scope of the legislation that was passed. I will certainly raise this issue with the minister and pass on any information I receive. However, I have no information whatsoever that the government intends to narrow the scope of the legislation.
