Federal Government must step up to the plate on gun violence.
Recent tragic events in our city have drawn attention yet again to the issue of gun violence in Toronto and throughout Canada. Mayor Miller, Premier McGuinty and NDP Leader Jack Layton have all joined the growing chorus of Canadians who believe there must be a national ban on handguns. This is just a start.
Gun violence can only be addressed if all partners in the criminal justice system work together – this must include the federal government who are the only partners who can provide us with the tools we need.
The federal government MUST understand that this is an issue that affects the lives of urban Canadians. This is NOT about duck hunting or sport shooting – this is about the quality of life for Canadians including those of us who live in Toronto and other urban centres.
For its part, the Toronto Police Services Board has taken the position that the appropriate levels of government must work together to:
Take necessary legislative action to ensure that those who possess and use guns illegally are subject to serious consequences;
Impose a complete ban on the use of handguns; and
Significantly increase enforcement measures and actively seek the cooperation of the US government to prevent gun trafficking.
I wrote to Stockwell Day, the federal Minister of Public Safety, almost a year ago (Link) to inform him of our position and to urge him to immediately act on this critical issue.
To date, all we have seen out of the federal government is a suggestion that there should be an increase in the mandatory sentence for gun crimes. They have dismissed out of hand any form of complete ban on use of handguns and have proposed no other remedy to this life and death matter. They are yet to pass a single piece of legislation that deals with this serious issue.
We, as a country, need the federal government to take a good hard look at controlling gun violence through stronger enforcement, crime prevention and funding for programs that provide opportunities for young people and deter them from criminal activities.
The inaction of the federal government is deafening. If they care about the urban residents they will immediately step up and provide us the tools we require. Promises are easy to make; what we need is immediate and comprehensive action.
