Tony Bernardo is the Executive Director of the Canadian Shooting Sports AssociationOn June 18, 2025, President Javier Milei significantly shifted Argentina’s firearms policy.For the first time in three decades, civilians are permitted to buy and possess semi-automatic firearms. President Milei also lowered the minimum age for firearm ownership from 21 to 18.This proclamation rescinded a 1995 prohibition on virtually all semi-automatic firearms chambered larger than .22 calibre that use detachable magazines..Lest the uninformed yank out their hair and scream about the return of “the Wild West,” Argentina’s new firearms policy comes with strict conditions. Applicants must pass rigorous background checks, demonstrate mental fitness, and undergo firearm safety training.“Argentina has the right to self-defence enshrined in its constitution,” said Interior Minister Adrián Ruiz in a statement. “This law recognizes young adults’ ability to responsibly exercise that right.”Argentina focused on voluntary civilian disarmament in 2007. Many Argentines insist the government’s 18-year disarmament policy is responsible for the escalation of criminal violence at the expense of public safety.“We have a society that is unarmed and protected with nothing,” said Fabián Calle, a member of former president Mauricio Macri’s administration. “But we have criminals that are protected by judges.”.Argentina’s firearms policy reform is a fascinating lens through which we can examine key Canadian issues: the source of illegal guns used in crime, self-defence laws, and the true impact of Liberal government policies on public safety.A conveniently overlooked fact in Canada’s firearms debate is the origin of guns used in violent crimes.According to the Toronto Police Service and other law enforcement agencies, between 80 and 90 per cent of firearms recovered at crime scenes are traced back to the United States.Toronto Police Service Deputy Chief Myron Demkiw testified that 86 per cent of guns used in crime were smuggled into Canada from the United States.All but one of the guns used by the Nova Scotia mass murderer were smuggled into Canada from the U.S..Statistics Canada released data showing that in 91 per cent of solved homicides in 2023, the alleged murderer did not have a valid licence for the firearm used to commit the crime.Confiscating cars from sober drivers will never stop drunk drivers, yet the Liberal government insists that disarming licensed gun owners will somehow take illegal guns out of the hands of career violent criminals.These facts underscore a bleak reality: Liberal government policies targeting law-abiding citizens do little to address the flood of illegal weapons crossing our southern border — nor do they lower the rate of violent crime.While the Government of Canada continues its decade-long war against legally owned firearms, the real issue — international gun smuggling — remains largely unaddressed..The right to self-defence is another important consideration.Under the Harper government, Canada saw legislation that expanded self-defence rights, empowering citizens to protect themselves and their property within reasonable limits.This policy shift recognized that law-abiding individuals, particularly in remote or underserved areas, often face delays in police response times—making personal security a practical necessity.Argentina’s recent firearms policy reforms echo this philosophy, prioritizing individual empowerment in the face of rampant crime. They reflect the Harper-era reforms, which showed that enabling self-defence can enhance public safety when balanced with responsible oversight.In contrast, the current Liberal government’s push to confiscate firearms from lawful owners is part of a broader attempt to roll back these personal protections, leaving Canadian citizens more vulnerable to violent criminals..Trusting law-abiding citizens with the means to defend themselves — as Argentina and the Harper government did — can foster a sense of security and deterrence against crime.The Liberal government’s agenda is focused on confiscating legally owned firearms, while seemingly ignoring violent repeat offenders and their illegal guns. This contributes to Canada’s rising rates of violent crime and the growing drug epidemic.By targeting law-abiding gun owners instead of addressing systemic issues like lenient sentencing for career criminals or the opioid crisis, the government undermines public safety.Argentina’s high-crime context differs from Canada’s, but its reforms highlight a universal truth: effective safety strategies must address root causes — poverty, addiction, and criminal networks — instead of scapegoating responsible, law-abiding citizens..Argentina’s bold gun law reforms challenge Canada to rethink its approach to firearms and public safety.The data show that most guns used in crime originate from the United States. Common sense and hard evidence dictate that we should shift our focus away from domestic restrictions and toward border-focused solutions.The Harper government’s expansion of self-defence rights demonstrated the value of trusting citizens — a principle Argentina’s new firearms policy reinforces.The Liberal government’s misplaced focus on law-abiding owners, rather than violent and repeat offenders, risks worsening crime trends..“Mr. Carney didn’t hesitate to kill a defensible policy in the carbon tax,” writes Robyn Urback. “The proposed buyback program, by contrast, isn’t defensible by any measure: it targets the wrong weapons, legally owned by the wrong people, to try to tackle a problem it will absolutely not address.”A strategy grounded in evidence (of which there is plenty), and respect for our culture of safety, our hunting heritage and our shooting sports, would better serve public safety than the current Liberal firearms confiscation policy.“Legitimate gun owners, whether they’re handgun or long rifle, are probably among your most law-abiding citizens in the country. They’re not the problem,” said Scott Blandford, assistant professor and program coordinator for policing and public safety at Wilfrid Laurier University.The Liberal government refuses to face these facts—to the detriment of all Canadians.Tony Bernardo is the Executive Director of the Canadian Shooting Sports Association.
