Feds are watering down promise to fully scrutinize firearms before sale, group says

OTTAWA — A leading gun-control group is accusing the Liberal government of watering down a promise to ensure firearms are properly scrutinized before entering the Canadian market.

The government recently published proposed regulations aimed at ensuring all gun makes and models for sale in Canada are known to the federal firearms registrar.

There is currently no obligation for businesses that import or manufacture firearms to share technical specifications with authorities, meaning guns could go on the market without being fully assessed.

The proposed regulations would require businesses to provide certain data to the registrar before importing or manufacturing a batch of firearms.

The information would include details such as make, model, shot capacity, gauge or calibre, barrel length, stock type and whether the firearm can accept a detachable magazine.

The businesses would have to provide follow-up details upon request, and keep records showing they have provided information to the registrar, whose work is supported by the RCMP’s firearms program.

However, businesses would not have to wait for a response from the registrar, ensuring no disruption of supply chains or a company’s activities.

The group PolySeSouvient, a long-time proponent of stricter gun laws, has called for a requirement that federal authorities not only collect such data from businesses, but also carry out a technical assessment of a firearm before it hits the Canadian market.

PolySeSouvient says this is the best way to ensure a restricted or even prohibited firearm is not improperly classified as a non-restricted gun suitable for hunting. The group points to a 2023 episode in which the RCMP told owners to turn in fully automatic military surplus firearms after hundreds were misidentified and allowed into Canada for commercial sale.

A federal analysis published late last month along with the proposed new measures says the regulations would “partially address” the group’s concerns, but do not “address calls for physical inspection of all firearms prior to entry into the Canadian market.”

The government is inviting public comment on the proposed regulations until Feb. 11.

In a statement, PolySeSouvient said the planned measures fall short of a commitment from former public safety minister Dominic LeBlanc.

LeBlanc told a Senate committee in October 2023 that regulatory changes would be made “to impose mandatory physical inspection by the RCMP of all new firearm models before they are placed on the Canadian market.”

“These regulatory measures will ensure that no firearm enters the Canadian market without having been properly listed or classified by competent government authorities.”

Ottawa Liberal MP David McGuinty recently took over the public safety portfolio from LeBlanc. Rachel Bendayan, a Montreal Liberal MP, was named associate public safety minister.

PolySeSouvient calls the planned federal approach “very disappointing,” saying the new regulations would merely mean the RCMP has the technical information in its possession.

“There is no new requirement for the RCMP to verify and certify that a non-restricted model is correctly classified before it enters the market, meaning misclassifications can continue,” the group says.

“As before, the RCMP will have to play catch-up once they get around to inspecting the technical data.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 2, 2025.

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press