The Trudeau government is weighing the application of even stricter gun laws in Canada — with some cities facing further restrictions on the buying and ownership of firearms. But a Canadian gun rights advocate warns that Trudeau has “zero credibility” with gun owners.
Border Security Minister Bill Blair, under fire from the Official Opposition Conservatives for his handling of illegal immigration, claims the gun violence in Toronto this summer has heightened Canadians’ concerns over access to firearms.
“This is a significant concern for Canadians,” Blair told The Canadian Press Wednesday.
Blair suggested this concern, “in places like Toronto, Surrey, B.C. and other parts of Canada, requires that we examine the issue and deal with it in a comprehensive way.”
But Nicolas Johnson, editor of the TheGunBlog, told The Daily Caller Thursday, “I’m suspicious because the government keeps talking about respecting gun owners while insulting us and trying to ban more of our firearms and subject us to more police surveillance. He’s saying the right things about stopping violent criminals, but his government has zero credibility with gun owners.”
Johnson notes that the Trudeau government is “walking a tightrope” and “needs to proceed very carefully. The prime minister has gone from scandal to scandal…Violent crime is spiking across the country,” he told The Daily Caller
“If you’re a leftist government looking to distract your supporters from crime and terrorism, why not exploit their anti-gun emotion and blame millions of responsible hunters and sport shooters who will never vote for you anyway?” Johnson asked.
Blair, who previously was in charge of moving the government’s marijuana legalization bill forward, is now tasked with border security — although so far he has done little more than find accommodation for illegals who are streaming into Toronto.
(RELATED: Trudeau Government Provides $11M To Put Illegals In Hotels)
Trudeau also asked Blair, a former Toronto chief of police, to begin a “deep analysis” of Canada’s already strict gun laws to see how else the federal government can limit access to guns in urban areas.
“Because I’ve got decades of experience, the prime minister has asked me to provide that focus for our government, to look at every aspect in every ministry so that we address all of the issues related to gun violence and that will enable us to take effective action in addressing it,” he told The Canadian Press, adding that he will consider “any measure which will be effective.”
The Trudeau government already has further firearms legislation in the works. Bill C-71 would force gun merchants to keep a registry of all firearms sold — including long guns. It would also mean more comprehensive background checks on anyone seeking to buy a firearm.
“We are quite prepared to look at how — in certain parts of the country perhaps — greater restrictions might be implemented. But in addition to that, you have to recognize that in and of itself is not the sole solution,” Blair said.
