Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that while the federal government is not trying to pursue the right to hunt through controversial gun control legislation, the Liberals “are using some of the guns that are used to do that.”
Trudeau says this is because some of these guns are “too dangerous in other contexts.”
This fall, debate in Parliament on the government’s Bill C-21—which initially focused on ‘red flag’ laws and restricting legal access to handguns—has become at the heart of the following controversy. when the Liberals introduced an amendment that would introduce into law a definition for “assault weapon”.
Under the proposed definition, hundreds of models of firearms would be banned, including several commonly used shotguns. This has caused an uproar among gun rights groups and opposition MPs, who see the belated amendment as an attack on law-abiding gun owners. Indigenous leaders have also opposed the proposed law, expressing concern about the violation of treaty rights.
After defending their policy and accusing the Conservatives of “fear-inducing”, there is still confusion about which guns specifically could be targeted by the bill. After a series of heated exchanges during the questioning period and at the committee, the Liberals conceded that some adjustments may be needed.
In a year-end chat with CTV National News Presenter and Senior Editor Omar Sachedina, which aired in its entirety on December 31, Trudeau elaborated on what that tweak could be. what it looks like, while making it clear how the Liberal Party will do it. intends to track down some guns used for hunting.
“Our focus right now is to say yes, there are some guns that we are going to have to confiscate from people who are using them to hunt,” Trudeau said. “However, we will also ensure that you can purchase other firearms from a long list of firearms that are acceptable for hunting, whether it’s rifles or handguns. We there won’t be a right to hunt in this country. We’re looking at some of the guns that are used to do that which are too dangerous in other contexts.”
Seeking to further explain the Liberals’ approach now under scrutiny, the prime minister said that when it introduced a ban on more than 1,500 “assault-style” gun models in 2020, the government saved Note that manufacturers will try to circumvent the law. ban with new models.
Through a recently proposed definition that focuses on certain weapons characteristics, he said, the Liberals are seeking to “ensure that such bans continue into the future”.
“There are some weapons used for hunting that unfortunately fall on the wrong side. Not many, but there are some that are a bit too powerful or have too large magazine capacity or similar technical reasons.” Mr. Trudeau said. “Nobody wants assault-style weapons anywhere in this country. You don’t use them for hunting and you shouldn’t own them for any other reason.”
Before MPs resumed their now-paused committee’s study of the bill — including the yet-to-be-agreed proposal for cross-country hearings — Trudeau said he agreed that it was necessary to explore more.
“We need to consult more and work with indigenous communities to make sure they understand that we are not going to pursue any of their traditional hunting rights. Because obviously hunting. Shooting is an important part of life for so many Canadians… respect that and we will protect that,” the prime minister said.
You can watch the full interview with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on New Year’s Eve. A conversation with the prime minister chaired by Omar Sachedina of CTV will be broadcast on December 31 at 7pm across the country.
