Bill C-21 Update Passed The House Bill C-21 Is Not Law May 18 2023

Bill C-21 Update Passed The House Bill C-21 Is Not Law May 18 2023

The federal Liberal government’s gun control legislation Bill C-21 passed the House of Commons on Thursday. While the majority of MPs voted to see the bill pass into the Senate, two Liberal MPs who represent northern ridings sided with the Conservatives in voting against the legislation.

two Liberal MPs who represent northern ridings sided with the Conservatives in voting against the legislation.

The definition passed by the House regarding the future-focused ban covers firearms that are not a handgun, that discharge centre-fire ammunition in a semi-automatic manner, and were originally designed with a detachable magazine with a capacity of six cartridges or more.

future-focused ban covers firearms that discharge centre-fire ammunition in a semi-automatic manner

“The evidence is clear, gun crime in Canada is driven by gangs and organized crime who use illegal guns. Bill C-21 is ideologically driven, should be scrapped and replaced by common sense evidence-based legislation that targets criminals, not the law-abiding hunters, sport shooters, outfitters, and indigenous peoples of Kootenay-Columbia.”

• NDP, Kootenay-Columbia MP Rob Morrison

Ultimately, the Bloc Quebecois, New Democrat, and Green caucuses backed Bill C-21 passing the House, with the final vote tally being: 207 to 113. The two Liberal MPs who voted against Bill C-21 were Yukon MP Brendan Hanley, and Northwest Territories MP Michael McLeod, neither were in the House for the vote, entering their “nay” votes electronically.

Bill C-21 is now off to the Senate for a second round of scrutiny. It remains to be seen whether senators are inclined to expedite their study or extend that work into the fall, with just four weeks left in the spring sitting.