The decision on handguns isn’t being dumped on municipalities.
That’s the response from Minister of Public Safety Bill Blair, who insists the government has listened to leaders across Canada before drafting the legislation for Bill C-21.
“Certain municipalities, large cities in particular, have very significant problems with handgun crimes and they wanted to do more,” says Blair “We’ve been working with them to allow them to do more. We’re not trying to go around the provinces with this legislation, they have jurisdiction in this too.”
The minister noted the provinces jurisdiction in this field has to do with policing.
Blair this legislation is about supporting the lower level of government: “What we’ve included in the legislation is the opportunity for [municipalities] to impose additional measures for things like where guns are stored or the conditions that they’re being stored under. The options will be there but they won’t be required to do anything.”
Mayor Bill Mauro was lukewarm on this bill last week
The legislation will go through second reading in the House of Commons later this week.
