Liberal gun control bill passes Senate, poised to become law

The federal Liberal government's contentious gun control legislation Bill C-21 passed the Senate without changes on Thursday and is now poised to become law.

The federal Liberal government's contentious gun control legislation Bill C-21 passed the Senate without changes on Thursday and is now poised to become law.

The bill passed the House of Commons in May after months of division and political acrimony. The version that made it to the Senate was significantly expanded from what the federal government had initially tabled a year prior.

Bill C-21 passed just ahead of a long holiday hiatus by a vote of 60 to 24, and with applause in the upper chamber. 

The legislation includes measures to:

The bill also includes a requirement for a parliamentary review of the technical definition five years after it comes into effect, while a series of other related measures are being advanced through regulations. 

Defending Bill C-21 at the time, then-public safety minister Marco Mendicino said the Liberals were committed to go further "than any government in the history of this country" when it comes to gun control, while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre asserted the legislation targets law-abiding gun owners.

When the bill moved to the Senate, many gun control observers had wondered what, if any, amendments would be made to the legislation.