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Gun control advocacy groups urge PM to implement long-awaited protection measure
The groups say a broad definition is needed so firearms licences are revoked quickly for people under protection orders.
Several gun control advocacy groups are urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to fully implement a firearms legislation passed 30 months ago that restricts firearm licenses for people subject to protection orders.
The legislation aims to protect women and children from intimate partner gun violence by revoking firearms licenses for individuals under protection orders during the order's duration.
Government regulations to define 'protection order' are pending, with a proposed narrow definition excluding certain criminal orders like bail release and probation orders, despite the legislation's broader original intent.
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree stated the government hopes to finalize regulations by late September following consultations, while advocacy groups warn that excluding some orders harms survivors by creating inconsistent protections based on legal technicalities rather than actual risk.
A women's association and several other groups supporting firearms control urge Prime Minister Mark Carney to fully implement an essential aspect of the Firearms Act passed 30 months ago.