Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister, is promising new gun control measures that he claims Canada must take to combat criminals. Recent announcements have imposed a unilateral ban on handgun imports into Canada. Canadians who follow the law and buy a handgun legally in Canada are subject to the ban. The measure does not address criminals. It also does not address illegal networks that smuggle illegal weapons into Canada and perpetuate criminality there.
Tyrannical Mini King Promises Canada a Handgun Ban
Prime Minister Trudeau placed a ban on imports of handguns until legislation to ban the sale and purchase, as well as other gun control measures, could be voted on in Canada’s Parliament. After Canadians had rushed to purchase firearms after the Trudeau administration introduced legislation to stop handgun sales, the import ban was a quick reaction.
Prime Minister Trudeau doesn’t wait for debate or a vote. He is acting by executive fiat. He is acting as a mini-tyrant. However, this is not his first attempt to oppress Canadians’ rights to own guns and to protest their government.
Canada doesn’t have its own version of the Second Amendment in America that protects pre-existing rights to keep and bear weapons. Canada’s gun control laws are stricter than those in the United States. To possess a firearm, Canadians must have a license. Handguns are considered restricted or prohibited firearms and must all be registered.
Prime Minister Trudeau used the tragedy in Uvalde as an opportunity to push legislation to ban the sale handguns. Trudeau’s administration issued an emergency order banning imports of handguns after Canadians bought more.
Handguns are almost all imported in Canada. This puts a ban on law-abiding Canadians legally obtaining one. For now, those already in possession may keep their handguns.
Blow to Business
Import bans will also have an impact on U.S.-based handgun makers that export to Canada. In 2021, 44,419 handguns were exported by American firearm manufacturers (both semiautomatic and revolver). This was nearly $20 million in business.
For 2022, only the first half of the year figures have been made available. However, 33,638 handguns were shipped out, which is 30.7 percent more than the same period in 2021 when 24,767 were sent. The estimated value of the exports in the first six month of 2022 is more than $16 million. This is a 45.3 percent increase on the same period in 2021 when it reached $10 million.
The 18.4 percent of all international handgun exports made by U.S. firearm producers up to 2022 is accounted for by handgun exports. They also account for 17.5 percent in handgun export value.
This is a business Prime Minister Trudeau would like to close down, just as he did for Canadians who were selling and possessing Modern Sporting Rifles. Trudeau’s administration is still planning to “buy back” specified semiautomatic rifles in Canada, even though the price tag is increasing.
The initial price tag for the government confiscation scheme, which was funded by taxpayers, was $250 million. However, similar Canadian government gun grabs have cost more than $600 million in the past, and doubters suggested that the true cost could be closer at $2.7 billion.
Canada has already extended the deadline by extending it to Oct. 30 for MSR owners who want to surrender their rifles or destroy them. The Reload reported that few Canadians are willing give up their guns.
Trampling on Rights
It could be difficult to speak out against Canada’s bans. Prime Minister Trudeau already showed he was ready to jail Canadians protesting COVID-19 lockdowns by sending police to break up and arrest protesters.
Canada’s Parliament has introduced legislation to regulate user-generated material on the internet, such as YouTube and Facebook. The National Post, Canada’s conservative newspaper, warns that Canada doesn’t have strong protections against free speech.
The Charter of Rights in Canada protects freedom of expression, The National Post reported. However, The Preamble to the Charter states that provincial governments can impose any freedom they wish, provided that they publicly declare that they are doing so.
Legislation and ban do not address the real problem
Prime Minister Trudeau’s obstructive edicts and proposed gun control legislation do not address crime or criminal networks. The truth is that the United States government ensures handgun exports from Canada are legitimate. The U.S. Commerce Department inspects U.S. handgun exports to Canada and the Bureau of Industry and Security approves them with end user checks.
This means that if the recipient for the exported handguns aren’t a legitimate business, the exports won’t be approved to leave the United States. Handguns made in the United States are not being imported by criminals. They are illegally obtaining them through criminal networks. The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the association for firearm and ammunition trade, wants to stop these illegal networks.
To prevent illegal straw purchasing of firearms, NSSF partnered up with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to create Don’t Lie For the Other GuyTM. Only authorized individuals and the true purchaser can access the gun.
The crime problem north of the border is not solved by banning all handgun imports to Canada. It doesn’t stop those who are legally able to purchase a handgun from doing so. It makes it impossible for Canadians to protect themselves, and it doesn’t stop criminals committing crimes against the innocent.
Story originally posted to NSSF.org
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Personal Defense World’s post New Canadian Handgun Ban Does Nothing to Address Criminal Networks originally appeared on Personal Defense World.
