Parliamentary Committee Notes: Second Reading in the House of Commons: Summary of Debate

Bill C-21 received mixed reactions from  Senators. Concerns raised ranged from the true impact of the Bill on firearms violence and suicide, to the impact of the bill on legal firearms owners, sport shooting, and Indigenous hunting rights, to firearms smuggling and trafficking at the Canada – United States (US) border. Some Senators asserted that the handgun freeze would not address the issue of illegal handguns coming in from the US being used to inflict violence in urban areas, particularly in Toronto. Others stated that the Bill targets firearms owners as opposed to targeting organized crime. Senators raised concerns about Red and Yellow Flag laws as ineffective and disproportionately targeting gun owners who use their firearm for sustenance or employment. It was recommended that the Senate committee study the correlation between gun violence and the drug trade.

On the general theme of firearms violence, it was suggested that an anonymous tip line be implemented to report illegal firearms ownership, criminal behavior and other crimes. Senators criticized the Government for insufficient consultation with Indigenous groups while also expressing appreciation for the provision stating that nothing in the Bill derogates from section 35 aboriginal and treaty rights, as outlined under the Constitution Act, 1867.

Senators also expressed concerns with the ability for sports shooters to reach the elite level due to the handgun freeze, and that the exemption of Olympic sport shooters from the freeze would not be enough to sustain the sport because new athletes would not be able to be trained.

With regard to firearm-related suicide, Senators expressed concerns with the amount of suicides that have been recorded in Canada since 2016, with the majority of victims being male. Concerns were expressed on how easy access to firearms can escalate underlying mental health crises into suicides. In light of this, it was suggested that the Senate committee studying the Bill encourage the Government to conduct a detailed analysis of the impact of the Bill on firearm suicide rates in males in Canada. It was also suggested that the committee could summon witnesses to help understand how such a study would work in Canada.

While many of the Bill’s provisions were heavily debated, some Senators suggested expanding the trafficking offences. It was suggested that the penalty could be amended to 14 years with no chance of parole, without participating in a substantial rehabilitation program that results in a substantial turnaround and evaluation of the individual being unlikely to reoffend.

Date modified:

2024-01-24