Dear Friends,

Today, the Liberals unilaterally enacted a massive firearms ban without a minute of debate in Parliament. They bypassed Parliament by issuing an Order in Council, banning approximately 1500 firearms, including popular and widely-owned rifles such as the AR-15 and Swiss Arms.

Our Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer released the following statement, defending law-abiding firearms owners:

“Justin Trudeau is using the current pandemic and the immediate emotion of the horrific attack in Nova Scotia to push the Liberals’ ideological agenda and make major firearms policy changes.  That is wrong.

“The Trudeau Liberals have made it clear throughout this crisis that they do not respect the democratic role of Parliament.  That cannot continue.  If the Prime Minister has the strength of his convictions, he should wait until the health crisis has passed and introduce legislation in the House of Commons, so that it can be debated, and Canadians’ voices can be heard.

“Canadians are rightly upset by the horrific attack in Nova Scotia and want answers.  As the RCMP’s investigation unfolds it is essential that we learn why a province-wide alert was not immediately issued, if RCMP officers had the proper body armour, and whether or not there were any red flags that could have prevented this tragedy.

“As the RCMP has made clear, the NS shooter did not have a firearms licence, so all of his guns were illegal.  Taking firearms away from law-abiding citizens does nothing to stop dangerous criminals who obtain their guns illegally.

“The reality is, the vast majority of gun crimes are committed with illegally obtained firearms.  Nothing the Trudeau Liberals announced today addresses this problem.

“Conservatives have and will always support common-sense firearms policies that keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals.

“We will continue to press the government for a plan that includes support for police anti-gang and gun units, a CBSA Firearms Smuggling Task Force, support for courts and prosecutors, tougher sentences for violent offenders, and action on rural crime.  The Trudeau government also needs to increase access to mental health and addictions treatments and invest in youth prevention programs.

“Conservatives are committed to ensuring that Canadians are safe and secure in their homes and in their communities.”

The full list of banned firearms is available here: http://gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2020/2020-05-01-x3/html/sor-dors96-eng.html?fbclid=IwAR3SeTxNpkiPkosp7lL1LMYv4lG5r69nne85l8vieNl1Lt7tGz_ed6UIh6A

Trudeau stated that those who currently own the firearms he banned will receive a two-year grace period. We do not currently know if anyone will be grandfathered in, nor are we sure what, if any, compensation will be offered.

Be assured, I will stand up for the rights of law-abiding Canadians.

Sincerely,

Kelly Block, MP