Public Safety Minister Bill Blair is defending his government's decision not to include a handgun ban in its sweeping new gun control legislation.
The federal government on Tuesday
introduced Bill C-21, which would increase criminal penalties for gun smuggling and trafficking, create a process for confiscating legal firearms from people who pose a risk to themselves and others, and introduce a buy-back program for "assault-style" firearms, which the government banned in May.
C-21 would also allow municipalities to ban handguns — but only if their province permits it.