Liberal Gun Control Bill C-21 Passes House of Commons

Critics say the bill still targets hunters and law-abiding firearms owners instead of criminals

(L–R) Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Justice Minister and Attorney General of Canada David Lametti, and President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair listen to a reporter's question, in Ottawa on Feb. 17, 2023. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

The House of Commons has passed Bill C-21 after third reading, a bill that Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino called “the most significant gun control legislation in Canada in a generation.”

In a statement on May 18 following passage of the bill, Mendicino said the legislation would “strengthen the national ban against AR-15-style firearms.”