Canada's Trudeau Proposes Total Freeze on Handgun Ownership

On Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that his government is introducing legislation that would freeze handgun ownership throughout the country.

The bill, which was presented to the Canadian parliament on Monday, would not ban handgun ownership outright, but would make it illegal to buy, sell, transfer or import them anywhere in Canada. Trudeau stated that "there is no reason Canadians need guns in their everyday lives," except for firearms for hunting or fishing. 

If the bill passes, there will be a buyback program for "assault-style weapons" later this year.  There will also be new red flag laws to remove guns and suspend licenses for individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others, as well as increased penalties for firearm crimes. The announcement in Canada comes in the wake of two large mass shootings in the United States — an elementary school attack in Uvalde, Texas on May 24th, and a racially-motivated shooting in Buffalo, New York on May 14th.

The proposed legislation was a top story from news outlets across the political spectrum Tuesday. Reports from left-rated sources tended to focus more on Canadian statistics that suggest handguns are used more often than other weapons in violent crimes in the country.