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House Hansard - 90

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 16, 2022 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 90 - Jun/16/22
Mr. Arif Virani (Parkdale—High Park, Lib.)
  • Jun/16/22 2:00:04 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-21 
Mr. Speaker, gun violence is a reality in every community. My riding of Parkdale—High Park is no exception. As my staff have heard repeatedly from my constituents, we must do everything in our power to combat gun violence. To date, we have banned assault-style weapons. We have cracked down on illegal trafficking. We have committed $250 million to address gang violence. With Bill C-21 we are going further. We are implementing a national freeze on the sale, purchase, transfer and importation of handguns. We are responding to the pleas of women who are victims of intimate partner violence, which often turns lethal simply because of the presence of handguns in the home. We are responding to pleas of racialized and religious minorities, who have asked that red flag laws, which enable firearms to be removed by court order, protect the anonymity of those targeted by hate. We are responding to the pleas of mental health advocates, who contend, rightly, that handguns in Canadian homes result in increased deaths by suicide. The only pleas we are ignoring are those of the gun lobby, who would criticize us for working to keep Canadians safe.
196 words
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