The Liberal government has reversed course and withdrew its controversial amendment to Bill C-21, which is a catch all for countless models of rifles and shotguns used by hunters and farmers all across Canada.
During a public safety committee meeting on Friday Liberal MP Taleeb Noormohamed announced the withdraw of the amendment.
The Liberals introduced Bill C-21 for an all out ban of all handguns is before the public safety committee in the House of Commons. Last year a Liberal MP pushed forward a proposed amendment to ban in the criminal code instead of regulations, all rifles and shotguns that could accept magazines that hold more than five rounds even if no such magazine exists.
If it became law it would prohibit hundreds of firearms used by hunters and farmers for all sizes of game or pests as well as sport shooters. It was criticized by licensed gun owners as well as many Indigenous nations and rural communities.
According to the Liberals they “heard” Canadians and decided to revoke the amendment.
“In order to get this bill right, Canadians need to know that we heard them, and it’s important for us to hear those voices that have not been heard and hear some of those voices that have been heard in the past,” said Liberal MP Taleeb Noormohamed. “We have to get this over the finish line in a way that respects victims but also respects hunters, farmers, and Indigenous communities.”
Since November, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino has denied the Liberal government was trying to take hunting guns away from legal gun owners and accused the Conservatives and other critics of the C-21 amendment were “whipping up fear.”
For months the liberal government attacked and vilified anyone that opposed Bill C-21 by claiming they were spreading “misinformation” and “disinformation“.
In a statement released on friday Public Safety Minister and Liberal MP Marco Mendicino admitted there have been “legitimate concerns raised.” but is still committed to trying to ban so-called “assault-style” rifles.
In December during an interview on CTV News, Justin Trudeau said that he is indeed targeting hunters and some firearms will be taken “away from people who were using them to hunt.”
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre credited his party for the victory of the amendment withdrawal but warned the Liberals will still try to ban hunting firearms
“We know his agenda,” Poilievre said. “He’ll reintroduce this either in this parliament or he’ll dream that, God forbid if he ever got a majority, he would ram it through. That’s why the only way that law abiding hunters and farmers will be able to protect their way of life is to elect a Conservative majority government led by Pierre Poilievre.”
“We are now getting to work with our parliamentary colleagues to craft a clear solution that will keep assault-style weapons off our streets,” Marco Mendicino, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s minister in charge of the crackdown, said on February 3, on his personal Twitter account.
The term “assault-style” firearms is an imaginary label thought up by the Liberal government to label guns they want to confiscate from law abiding and licensed Canadian gun owners.
