Conservatives ‘fearmongering’ over assault-style gun ban: Mendicino

Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino is accusing the Conservatives of “whipping up worry” that the Liberal authorities is outlawing abnormal lengthy weapons and looking rifles.

The federal government solely desires to strengthen a regulatory ban on assault-style firearms such because the AR-15 by enshrining a definition in laws, and it’s ready to work with MPs to get it proper, Mendicino mentioned in an interview.

“The federal government has no intention — no intention in any way — to go after lengthy weapons and looking rifles,” he mentioned. “And that is merely Conservative fearmongering.”

In Could 2020, the Liberal authorities introduced a ban by means of order-in-council on greater than 1,500 fashions and variants of what it considers assault-style firearms, such because the AR-15 and the Ruger Mini-14.

The Liberals lately proposed together with an evergreen definition of a prohibited assault-style firearm in gun-control laws being studied by the Home of Commons public security committee.

The outline is meant to make sure gun producers cannot tweak designs of prohibited firearms in a bid to get across the ban and reintroduce them to the Canadian market.

Amongst different technical specs, the proposed definition features a centrefire semi-automatic rifle or shotgun designed to simply accept a removable journal that may maintain greater than 5 cartridges.

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The Conservatives declare the federal government’s modification quantities to probably the most vital looking rifle ban within the historical past of Canada.

On the committee final week, Conservative MP Glen Motz mentioned the definition would successfully prohibit a whole lot of hundreds of firearms, together with many non-restricted weapons.

Conservative public security critic Raquel Dancho mentioned the celebration was intently inspecting the most recent record of firearms, tabled as an modification, to be lined by the ban.

She particularly objected to inclusion of the Simonov SKS.

“The SKS is is a extremely popular looking rifle within the Indigenous group. So I am very to see what they consider this,” Dancho advised the committee final Thursday.

“It is very insulting to insinuate that hunters on this nation have weapons of struggle after they’re completely authentic instruments that they have been utilizing for properly over a century.”

Mendicino mentioned any new fashions that fall beneath the prohibition are in keeping with the factors laid out greater than two years in the past when the regulatory ban was introduced.

However he additionally indicated a willingness to handle any issues in regards to the invoice’s wording.

“I mentioned that I’m all the time open to working with all members of Parliament — on the committee, within the Home — to guarantee that we get this proper. However we won’t compromise on prohibiting assault-style firearms of the AR-15 selection as a result of they haven’t any place in our communities.”

The general public security committee’s clause-by-clause consideration of the firearms invoice rapidly grew to become slowed down in debate over the assault-style provisions. Members are anticipated to renew evaluation of the invoice this week.

It’s no shock that Conservatives are stirring up the fears of law-abiding gun house owners “as a result of they’ve by no means had a plan,” Mendicino mentioned.

“And the one factor they seem like proposing is to make assault-style firearms authorized once more, which might be a step backwards and place at larger threat the lives of Canadians.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Nov. 28, 2022.