Trudeau criticizes Conservative plan to repeal Liberal ban on ‘assault weapons’

Published August 18, 2021 at 7:11 pm

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OTTAWA — Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative rival Erin O’Toole of pandering to the gun lobby with his promise to repeal a ban on what the government considers military-style assault weapons.

At a campaign stop in Vancouver today, Trudeau says it is inconceivable, at a time when Canadians are concerned about gun violence, that the Conservatives would pledge to reverse the measure.

In May last year, the Liberals banned some 1,500 firearm models, including the popular AR-15 rifle, meaning they cannot be legally used, sold or imported.

Earlier this year, they introduced legislation proposing a buyback of the banned firearms, though owners would be allowed to keep them under strict conditions, including registration and secure storage of the guns. 

The legislation, which died with Parliament’s recent dissolution, would also have allowed municipalities to ban handguns through bylaws restricting their possession, storage and transportation.

The Conservative platform says the party would scrap the May 2020 ban and review the Firearms Act with input from police, gun owners, manufacturers and the public.

The Canadian Press

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