Speaking Notes for The Honourable Marco Mendicino Minister of Public Safety
Appearance Before the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security (SECU)
Guns and Gang Violence
Wednesday, December 15, 2021 (TBC)
Ottawa, ON
Mr. Chair, Committee Members:
Thank you for inviting me here today.
I’d like to begin by acknowledging that those of us here on the Hill are gathered on traditional Algonquin territory.
I want to offer my full support for this important study on gun control, illegal arms trafficking and the increase in gun crimes by gangs.
I welcome this study, and very much look forward to your findings.
Honourable Members, the violent crime we see in our communities ranges from criminal activity, to gender-based violence, or a deliberate attack on innocent people.
All of this is unacceptable in a country like ours.
I am horrified by the tragic loss of young persons in Montréal in recent months.
My thoughts are with those who have lost family members and friends, and with all the residents of Montréal and elsewhere in Canada who have all too often had to face armed violence.
As we meet more often over the coming months, you’ll have no doubt that addressing the devastating effects of gun and gang violence remains a top priority for me and for this Government.
In some cities across the country, and indeed in many constituencies, including my own, firearm-related crimes are on the rise.
In 2020, there were 277 firearm-related homicides, accounting for 39% all homicidesFootnote1
That’s why I warmly welcome the attention and initiatives being put in place across the country, including by my counterpart in Quebec to control firearms and address gun violence.
I know that Quebec is taking robust action like Opération Centaure and investments in gang prevention.
That project helps to hire more police officers, forensic scientists, and corrections officers, and bring together law enforcement agencies to investigate and prevent gun violence and reduce smuggling.
Quebec is clearly showing positive provincial leadership.
And I look forward to discussing this and much more at the summit on firearms violence in January in Montreal.
Mr. Chair, our story over the last 6 years reflects the strongest set of measures Canada has ever seen against gun crime.
My counterparts know that being tough on crime is never enough.
That’s why our focus on prevention is central to all we do, and it’s central to where we’re making many of our key investments.
In last year’s Fall Economic Statement, we announced $250 million over five years to support gang prevention and intervention programming.
This funding will strengthen local efforts to address the social conditions that lead to criminal behaviour.
The focus will be on keeping at-risk children, youth and young adults out of gangs, and out of the criminal justice system.
Funding will support community organizations that work to address violent criminal activity before it starts, and provide exit strategies for those already involved in gang activity.
It’s a targeted approach, building on the success of our Initiative To Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence, which is supporting provinces and territories in responding to their specific needs.
We also promised to introduce additional legislation in keeping with the rest of our commitments on gun and gang violence.
And that’s exactly what we did last year with the introduction of the former Bill C-21.
As members will recall, among many other features, that Bill addressed the ways in which criminals get access to guns, through smuggling, theft and diversion.
At its core was the recognition of the need to continue to fight the illegal gun market.
On that front, our intent remains: to increase criminal penalties for gun smuggling and trafficking, and to enhance the capacity of police and border officials to keep illegal firearms and ammunition out of the country.
In the meantime, Mr. Chair, we are not waiting to take further action at our borders.
The Government has already provided $125 million to the RCMP and the CBSA.
This funding is enhancing firearms investigations, and strengthening controls at the border, to prevent illegal firearms from entering the country.
And the results are clear.
As of December 8, the CBSA has made nearly 400 firearms-related seizures, resulting in over 1,000 items seized this year.
The CBSA is also leading a cross-border task force on behalf of the Government of Canada.
This will ensure that law enforcement partners on both sides of the border benefit from shared intelligence, information, and partnerships, so that they can detect and intercept the illegal movement of firearms at the border.
And we are continuing to invest to increase the RCMP’s capacity to trace firearms, and to carry out anti-smuggling activities, as they continue to strengthen their ability to support investigations, research, intelligence, training and much more.
Further, Mr. Chair, on May 1st, 2020, this Government took a bold step forward and kept our promise, by banning over 1,500 models and variants of assault-style firearms.
All members know that these firearms are designed specifically to kill as many people as possible, as quickly as possible.
They have no place in our society.
These types of firearms were not meant for hunters or sport-shooters.
We will take further action to remove these guns from our communities, by making it mandatory for owners to deactivate or surrender these firearms.
They pose a risk to the public’s safety that outweighs their continued availability within Canada.
Mr. Chair, members will recall these steps had been preceded by many concrete actions to change our laws to protect public safety.
In 2019, we passed legislation – the former Bill C-71 – to keep firearms out of the wrong hands, including by expanding background checks.
I’m pleased to report that, following that legislation, on July 7th, the Government registered an Order-in-Council to expand those background checks for a firearms licence.
Now, the checks will review an applicant’s entire life history, rather than just the previous five years.
The lifetime background check includes criteria that must be considered, in deciding whether to grant a firearms licence.
That includes a history of harassment, whether the applicant was ever subject to a restraining order, and whether the applicant poses a risk of harm to any person.
Further, on the same date, we reinstated the Chief Firearms Officer’s discretionary power to authorize the transport of restricted and prohibited firearms to all places other than a shooting range or home after purchase such as to and from a gun show.
I’m confident this step will help to safeguard the movement of these firearms within the community.
We will also bring into force at the earliest opportunity two regulations under C-71.
This proposal will require a vendor of a non-restricted firearm to verify the potential recipient’s firearms licence with the Registrar of Firearms.
That same regulatory proposal would also require businesses to maintain inventory and sales records for non-restricted firearms.
Mr. Chair, these regulations have been referred to your committee for study.
I would welcome an opportunity to appear to discuss how the regulations will ensure firearms do not end up in the hands of criminals, and enable better tracing of crime guns.
Mr. Chair, I very much look forward to working with members as we re-table legislation for further debate on all of these issues.
That includes those raised by the measures we introduced as part of Bill C-21, such as our commitment to support those communities who want to ban handguns.
The Government remains committed to collaborating with provinces that want to do so.
It’s a fact that handguns are used in about half of all firearms-related homicides.
Quebec, Alberta, Ontario, and Saskatchewan, have all called for the federal government to withdraw the handgun provisions of C-21, arguing that municipalities should not be burdened with firearms regulatory enforcement.
In fact, Mr. Chair, all three levels of government currently regulate firearms, as it is an area of shared jurisdiction under the Constitution.
Today, there are provincial laws and municipal bylaws governing firearms right across the country, and we need to see more of those responses tailored to individual jurisdictions’ needs.
We can always do more together.
Mr. Chair, as I’ve outlined today, the Government has introduced the strongest measures to fight gun violence our country has ever seen.
Our approach to combat firearm-related violence has focused on controlling the use and possession of firearms, limiting access to firearms deemed inappropriate, deterring smuggling and trafficking, and supporting communities in efforts to reduce gang membership and violence.
This is about saving lives.
We are not targeting responsible citizens.
These are concrete and practical measures.
And they’re designed to protect you, your family and your community.
As I’ve said, in concert with all jurisdictions, there is always more we can do together.
I call on all provinces, territories, municipalities and Indigenous communities to continue to join the Government of Canada in taking action to stamp out gun violence.
They can do so by passing laws and bylaws to control access to firearms, by increasing enforcement, and by supporting prevention programs.
Quebequers, and indeed all Canadians, who want to take strong action to make their communities safe, will have an ally in me and this Government.
I’m confident that our collective actions and continued investments in our communities will improve public safety, prevent tragedies and save lives.
Thank you, and I look forward to your questions today.
Footnotes
- 1
Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0170-01 Number and percentage of homicide victims, by type of firearm used to commit the homicide
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