OTTAWA -
Advocates who led the push to ban an array of assault-style firearms are telling federal lawmakers that authorities laws prohibiting these weapons are being circumvented by Canadian producers.
In a letter despatched this week, gun-control group PolySeSouvient urges MPs to help amending the definition of prohibited firearm within the Prison Code to incorporate all present and future weapons that fall into the class.
The Liberal authorities banned some 1,500 fashions and variants of firearms, together with the AR-15 and Ruger Mini-14, by way of an order-in-council in Could 2020 on the grounds they haven't any place in searching or sport taking pictures.
A deliberate buyback program would require house owners to both promote these firearms to the federal government or have them rendered inoperable at federal expense.
PolySeSouvient says that and not using a clear Prison Code definition of assault-style firearms, Canada shall be caught with the form of failed strategy that led to the proliferation of tens of hundreds of such weapons in personal palms following bans within the Nineteen Nineties.
The group consists of college students and graduates of Montreal's Ecole polytechnique, the place a gunman killed 14 ladies in 1989.
The letter is signed by group spokesperson Nathalie Provost, who was shot through the rampage, Suzanne Laplante-Edward, whose daughter was killed, and Heidi Rathjen, a graduate of the varsity and co-ordinator of PolySeSouvient.
It says that earlier this 12 months the RCMP granted a non-restricted classification to the Lockhart Tactical Raven 9, a semi-automatic carbine manufactured in Canada. Different just lately launched semi-automatics unaffected by the ban embody the Sterling Arms R18 Mk.2, the Crusader 9 and the RS-Q2 Osprey.
As non-restricted weapons, they're additionally not registered exterior of Quebec, and are topic to much less stringent storage necessities, PolySeSouvient notes.
In 2020 the federal government mentioned the fashions and variants being banned had semi-automatic motion with sustained rapid-fire functionality, and have been "current in massive volumes within the Canadian market."
PolySeSouvient wonders whether or not the actual fact newly launched fashions aren't current in massive numbers, no less than initially, explains why they're allowed.
The RCMP had no rapid touch upon why the firearms flagged within the letter fall exterior the federal ban.
The Liberals have beforehand floated the thought of laws that might create an evergreen framework for classification of firearms to make sure federal intentions on banned weapons are revered.
"Sadly, we now have but to listen to of an analogous measure being thought-about by the present authorities," PolySeSouvient's letter says.
"We're due to this fact calling on members of Parliament to help amending the definition of 'prohibited firearm' within the Prison Code to incorporate all present and future assault-style weapons."
Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino mentioned in March he would quickly usher in "very proactive" gun laws following the expiration of an earlier effort, often known as Invoice C-21, ultimately summer season's normal election name.
A invoice is predicted this spring, although some key components haven't been finalized.
Requested about obvious circumventions of the assault-style firearms ban, Mendicino mentioned after a cupboard assembly Thursday that consultations have been ongoing.
"With reference to how we will additional strengthen restrictions round lethal firearms like AR-15s, we proceed to interact with communities, we proceed to interact with quite a lot of companions on this area."
Along with the necessary buyback of banned weapons, the Liberals have promised a crackdown on high-capacity firearm magazines, new efforts to fight gun smuggling, and help to any province or territory that wishes to ban handguns.
Whereas PolySeSouvient applauds a Liberal promise to ban modifiable magazines, it says this won't be sufficient to make sure magazines are restricted to 5 rounds for rifles and shotguns and 10 for handguns.
Consequently, the brand new letter to MPs urges the elimination of all exemptions and loopholes that undercut the these limits. "Ideally, the restrict could be 5 for all firearms. The legislation must also require a gun licence to buy magazines, simply because it does for ammunition."
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Could 6, 2022.
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