PM puts ban on assault-style weapons
PRIME Minister Justin Trudeau announced an immediate ban Friday (local time), on the sale and use of assault-style weapons in Canada, two weeks after a gunman killed 22 people in Nova Scotia.
‘‘Canadians need more than thoughts and prayers,’’ he said, rejecting the reaction of many politicians after mass shootings.
Trudeau cited numerous mass shootings in the country, including the rampage that killed 22 in Nova Scotia April 18 and 19. He announced the ban of more than 1500 models and variants of assault-style firearms, including two guns used by the gunman as well as the AR-15 and other weapons that have been used in a number of mass shootings in the United States
‘‘You do not need an AR-15 to take down a deer,’’ Trudeau said. ‘‘So, effective immediately, it is no longer permitted to buy, sell, transport, import or use militarygrade, assault weapons in this country.’’
There is a two-year amnesty period while the government creates a programme that will allow current owners to receive compensation for turning in the designated firearms or keep them through a grandfathering process yet to be worked out.
Under the amnesty, the newly prohibited firearms can only be transferred or transported within Canada for specific purposes. Owners must keep the guns securely stored until there is more information on the buyback programme.
Mary-Liz Power, a spokeswoman for Canada’s public safety minister, said details of how the buyback programme would work would be determined by the government and the other parties in Parliament. ‘‘We can’t prejudge what the result of the parliamentary process will be. That is when details about grandfathering would be determined.’’
Trudeau said the weapons were designed for one purpose and one purpose only: to kill the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time.