Plante: Bill C-21 should include ban on handguns, mandatory assault weapons buy-back

During a discussion this morning with Minister of Public Safety Bill Blair, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante addressed the need to improve Bill C-21, the federal gun control legislation announced last week. Plante has requested that handguns be included in the list of banned firearms, and that the assault-weapons buy-back be mandatory rather than voluntary. She also reiterated that federal funding be released immediately in order to implement additional measures to prevent the trafficking of weapons in Montreal neighbourhoods.

Currently, Bill C-21 introduces a buy-back program for firearms that were blacklisted in May, allows municipalities to restrict the storage and transport of handguns and increases criminal penalties for gun smuggling and trafficking.

Le projet de loi C-21 doit absolument être bonifié afin qu'il interdise les armes de poing, rende la clause de rachat d'armes d'assaut obligatoire plutôt que sur une base volontaire, et en fasse davantage pour prévenir le trafic d'armes dans nos quartiers. #polmtl #polcan
— Valérie Plante (@Val_Plante) February 22, 2021

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante has requested that banning handguns be included in Bill C-21, and that the assault-weapons buy-back be mandatory, rather than voluntary.

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