Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said the Liberal government will soon introduce new legislation to regulate the arms trade.

Mendicino told the House of Commons Public Safety Committee on Tuesday that the bill would be "very proactive," although he did not provide details on the timing or elements of the legislation.

This move could revive some federal measures that were not passed before last year's general election and embody the new proposals presented during the subsequent campaign.

The Liberals have promised a mandatory buyback of banned guns they consider assault firearms.

They also pledged to work with any province or territory that wants to ban handguns, allocating at least one billion dollars for this effort.

The Liberals also said they will crack down on categories of high-capacity firearms and do more to combat gun smuggling.

The proposed buyback legislation will make it mandatory for owners of a wide range of banned firearms, including the Ruger Mini-14 used in the 1989 École Polytechnique shooting, to either sell them back to the government or render them inoperable at the federal level.

The proposal received praise from gun control advocates but strong rejection from some firearm owners and conservative MPs.

During the committee meeting, Liberal MP Talib Noor asked Mendicino what he would say to those who believe that gun buybacks and increased enforcement will affect innocent law-abiding civilians.

Mendicino said the Liberals will provide "responsible and strong gun control to protect our communities."

He added that gun buybacks are a fundamental tool to take back firearms "that have no place in our communities—because they have only one purpose, which is to kill people in our streets." "This is our commitment to protecting people and we will fulfill it."

In Canada, it is illegal to manufacture weapons without the required firearms business license. As a result, making a weapon at home is a crime, for example using a 3D printer or various components, without permission.

The Canada Border Services Agency says it works closely with the RCMP and other partners to stop banned and unauthorized firearms, as well as firearm parts, from entering Canada.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner Brenda Lucki told the committee that she would welcome additional action to prevent people from making their own weapons at home, saying: "We need to get those weapons off the street."

Editor: Dima Abu Khair