New Gun Laws Won’t Repeal Grace Period, Goodale’s Office Says

TheGunBlog.ca — Canada’s Liberal Party-controlled government won’t repeal the grace period on expired gun licences in its coming package of laws to increase paperwork and restrictions on lawful firearm owners, a spokesman for the Ministry of Public Safety said.

The government, which aims to present a set of new gun laws by the end of the year, said this week in its official newsletter that the grace period will begin Nov. 30. The six-month grace was voted by the previous Conservative government two years ago.

TheGunBlog.ca asked the Ministry of Public Safety, which oversees firearm legislation, if the grace period would be repealed by the new laws.

“No,” Scott Bardsley, a spokesman for the office of the minister, Ralph Goodale, said today by e-mail. “The government believes in enhancing public safety by assisting firearm owners to become compliant with the licensing requirements. We are committed to pursuing effective firearms measures that prioritize public safety while ensuring fair treatment for law-abiding gun-owners.”

The Liberals said in their 2015 election platform that they planned to require more checks when buying or selling guns, more procedures and paperwork to take firearms to a shooting range or gunsmith, more list-keeping by gun stores, and new markings on imported guns.