News Release

For Immediate Release
May 27, 2008

McGuinty Government Protecting Ontario Communities From Gun Violence

NEWS

In a joint letter to the federal government, Ontario's Attorney General Chris Bentley and Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Rick Bartolucci outline three ways to target the flow of guns coming into Canada from the United States, without slowing cross-border trade.

In addition to repeating Ontario's call for a national handgun ban, the Ministers urge Ottawa to:

• Require marking of imported firearms – Canada lags behind the United States in gun marking, which allows police to quickly trace guns used in crime and break up gun smuggling rings.
• Bring firearm parts regulations into sync with Canada's border rules - A loophole in Canadian law encourages criminals to smuggle gun frames and receivers – the building blocks of guns – across the border by allowing for their unregulated possession.
• Add federal prosecutors to Ontario's Guns and Gangs Task Force – Federal prosecutors – experts in drug crime, wiretaps and border searches – can help Ontario's Guns and Gangs Task Force to charge and prosecute drug-related gun traders, gun-runners, smugglers and thieves.

Stopping illegal gun trafficking and a national ban on handguns are part of the McGuinty government's four-point plan to protect Ontario communities from gun violence. 

QUOTES

"If the federal government is serious about protecting Ontario communities from gun violence, it needs to ban handguns and stem the flow of guns across our border," said Bentley.

"Our government is offering meaningful ways to combat gun violence," said Bartolucci. "We encourage the federal government to do its part by implementing these reasonable suggestions."

"Handguns are being used to kill innocent people in our communities," said Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police President and Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair.  "We need to do everything within our power to keep guns out of the hands of violent criminals. We must stop them at our borders, limit criminal access to guns in our communities, and prosecute vigorously everyone who chooses to break our laws."

Read more about what people are saying about Ontario's anti-gun smuggling proposals.

QUICK FACTS

• Since 2003, the McGuinty government has added 72 specialized Crowns to Ontario's Guns and Gangs Task Force and six new anti-gun smuggling Crown prosecutors to work with police province-wide to stop illegal guns from entering Ontario.
• Law enforcement officials agree that almost all firearms used in crimes are either stolen from lawful owners or are guns smuggled into Canada from other countries, including the United States.

LEARN MORE

Learn more about the McGuinty government's four-point plan to fight gun violence.

Learn more about how guns are classified in Canada.

Learn more about Canada's Firearms Act .