Justin Trudeau Announces ‘Freeze’ on Handgun Sales, Transfers

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Friday a “freeze” on handgun sales and transfers, claiming the action will keep children safe.

Trudeau introduced a freeze on owning handguns in May which went into effect on Friday.

MSN.com quoted Trudeau saying, “Canadians have the right to feel safe in their homes, in their schools, and in their places of worship. With handgun violence increasing across Canada, it is our duty to take urgent action to remove these deadly weapons from our communities. Today, we’re keeping more guns out of our communities, and keeping our kids safe.”

TRUDEAU: "From today forward, it is no longer legal to buy, sell, or transfer a handgun in Canada." pic.twitter.com/aGzqhBmblg

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) October 21, 2022

Trudeau’s office released a statement on the handgun freeze, which said in part:

Fewer guns mean safer communities. That’s why the Government of Canada is implementing some of the strongest gun control measures in a generation. Handguns are the weapon of choice in most firearm-related crimes, which is why limiting the number of handguns is a critical part of our plan to protect Canadians from gun violence.

His office also noted, “The national handgun freeze is part of the government’s comprehensive plan to tackle gun violence. We have already banned over 1,500 types of assault-style firearms and have strengthened our gun control laws to expand background checks.”

On September 28, 2022, Breitbart News reported that the Canadian province of Alberta refused to take part in enforcing Trudeau’s “assault weapons” ban. Saskatchewan also refused to participate in enforcing the ban.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and a Turning Point USA Ambassador. AWR Hawkins holds a PhD in Military History, with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.