OTTAWA—The federal public-safety minister suggests the deadly mass shooting in New Zealand will spur parliamentarians to take a careful look at Canada’s gun laws.

Ralph Goodale says the killing of 50 people in Christchurch has sparked a global sense of concern that will prompt Canadian politicians to make some timely decisions.

Goodale says his cabinet colleague Bill Blair will deliver recommendations soon, after having been asked last August to study a full ban on handguns and assault weapons in Canada.

New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, says gun-law reforms will be announced within days in that country.

A bill already before Canada’s Senate would, among other things, expand the scope of background checks on those who want to acquire guns here.

Instead of just the five years immediately preceding a licence application, questions about buyers’ histories would cover their entire lifetimes.

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