Liberals Accuse Tories of ‘Fearmongering’ on Latest Gun Ban, as Tories Push Back With Charges of ‘Disinformation’

A salesman holds up a rifle at a hunting store in Ottawa, in a file photo. (Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press)

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino is accusing the Conservatives of “fearmongering” over proposed amendments to gun-banning legislation that, if passed, will see an additional 300 to 400 firearms prohibited nationwide.

The Conservatives, meanwhile, have pushed back with claims of “disinformation” and accusing the Liberals of avoiding debate on the initial legislation in the House.

Significant amendments to Bill C-21, which is currently undergoing review by the House of Commons public safety committee, were made public on Nov. 24 and included proposals to ban 300 to 400 more rifles and shotguns under the act.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau already banned 1,500 firearms deemed by the federal government to be “assault-style” in May 2020 through an Order in Council.

Conservative public safety critic Raquel Dancho reacted to the newly proposed amendments by accusing the Liberal government of targeting law-abiding hunters who use guns for sport, rather than criminals illegally using firearms.

“They’re going after Grandpa Joe’s hunting rifle instead of gangsters in Toronto,” she told Parliament Hill reporters on Nov. 24, adding that “the Liberal government is being very sneaky.”

“They did not allow this to be debated in the original form of the legislation. We were not able to debate this in the House.”

Mendicino said on Nov. 28 that Conservatives were “whipping up fear” about the legislative amendments.

“The government has no intention—no intention whatsoever—to go after long guns and hunting rifles, and this is simply Conservative fearmongering,” he said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

Dancho replied to Mendicino’s comments the same day, saying he was spreading “disinformation.”

“The Liberals are banning some of Canada’s most commonly used hunting rifles with their amendments, which is why there’s been an uproar from hunting, wildlife, and farming communities across Canada,” she wrote in a Twitter post.

Gun Buyback Program

In addition to their proposed gun bans, the Liberal government has proposed a mandatory gun buyback program that would compel owners of now-illegal firearms to either sell them to the government for a fixed price or else have them “lawfully disposed.”

A number of provinces have voiced their disapproval of the proposed buyback, saying they will not use provincial police resources to carry out the federal buyback if it becomes law.

“Alberta taxpayers pay over $750 million per year for the RCMP and we will not tolerate taking officers off the streets in order to confiscate the property of law-abiding firearms owners,” said Alberta’s Justice Minister Tyler Shandro on Sept. 26.

Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, and the Yukon Legislature have all since followed Alberta’s lead in saying they will not cooperate with the gun buyback program.

Alberta and Saskatchewan also recently spoke out against the amendments to Bill C-21 to ban over 300 hunting rifles and shotguns.

“The ban will not only be unenforceable but will criminalize hundreds of thousands of Canadians,” Shandro said in a press release on Nov. 23.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said his government encourages legislation that targets the criminal use of firearms, but not law-abiding gun owners.

“We do not support the federal government’s firearm control measures as outlined in C-21, as they eliminate lawful licensed firearm owners right to access and use their legally acquired firearms,” Moe said in a statement on Twitter.

“These amendments do nothing to target illegal firearms use.”

Rachel Emmanuel, Marnie Cathcart, and Isaac Teo contributed to this report.