Canada column for Sunday, June5/22
THE CANADIAN REPORT
By Jim Fox
The Canadian government is fine-tuning its firearm regulations that ensure anyone buying a gun has a valid license.
It will also require sellers to keep sales and inventory records, said Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino.
This amounts to the latest steps toward fully implementing Bill C-71, approved in 2019.
That requires sellers to verify the validity of a firearms license before selling a non-restricted firearm, such as a basic rifle or shotgun.
Businesses must now keep records of inventory and sales related to non-restricted firearms.
The Conservative party has accused the Liberal government of reviving the national long-gun registry created by the Liberals in the 1990s and abolished later.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he would never enact a long-gun registry and “today he is breaking that promise to Canadians by passing off the responsibility to maintain a registry to retailers who sell firearms to lawful and properly licensed Canadians.”
“These new rules will ensure that those people who aren't allowed or shouldn’t have access to a gun can’t get one and prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands,” Mendicino said.
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A devastating loss in Thursday’s Ontario election won by Premier Doug Ford’s Conservatives resulted in both main political rivals saying they will be quitting politics.
Liberal leader Steven Del Duca even failed to win re-election in his own district and socialist New Democratic Party (NDP) Andrea Horwath, who has now lost four elections, announced they will be leaving.
The Conservatives couldn’t be caught and won their second consecutive majority government with the major competitors losing seats and the Liberals failing to retain official party status.
There were 83 Conservatives elected, 31 for the NDP, 8 for the Liberals and 1 won by the Green environmental party.
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In brief:
- Blaming “persistent inflation," the Bank of Canada raised its trendsetting interest rate by 0.5 to 1.5 per cent, the second similar hike this year. Economists had predicted the increase for the third time this year to try to calm high inflation rates. They say in order to have much effect on inflation, the key bank rate would have to be increased to more than 3 percent. This is the first time the Bank of Canada has raised rates by 0.5 in back-to-back decisions in nearly 25 years.
- Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have extended federal COVID-19 restrictions at the border until at least June 30. As well, the federal government continues to require foreign tourists to provide proof of being fully vaccinated. Unvaccinated Canadian citizens or permanent residents are still required to show proof of a molecular COVID-19 test taken prior to entering Canada and quarantine for 14 days. All travelers coming to Canada, regardless of citizenship, must also continue to submit their health information through the Arrive CAN app before arriving.
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Facts and figures:
Canada’s dollar is higher at 79.5 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.26 in Canadian funds, before exchange fees.
The Bank of Canada’s key interest rate is higher at 1.5 percent while the prime lending rate at commercial banks is 2.45 percent or more.
Canadian stock markets are higher, with the Toronto index at 20,843 points while the TSX Venture index at 722 points.
The average price for gas in Canada is higher at $2.02 a liter or $7.67 for a U.S. gallon in Canadian funds.
Lotto Max: (May 31) 6, 13, 23, 27, 35, 44 and 50; bonus 37. (May 27) 4, 9, 21, 22, 27, 31 and 34; bonus 5.
Lotto 6/49: (June 1) 1, 15, 16, 19, 44 and 48; bonus 5. (May 28) 6, 13, 15, 29, 45 and 48; bonus 1.
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Regional briefs:
- Ontario Hydro says some customers in eastern Ontario could still be without power for more days or weeks after last week’s massive storm and tornado. There are more than 6,000 people without power in an area from Kingston to Ottawa as lines and poles were destroyed. “The severity of damage” means some customers in the Bancroft region will be without power for several more days,” Ontario Hydro said. Ten people were killed in the storm, mostly from fallen trees.
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