Trudeau pledges tougher gun control as he tries to get campaign back on track

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TORONTO – Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau is promising to ban all military-style assault rifles as part of a broader gun-control plan that will also take steps towards restricting and banning handguns.

“People are dying. Families are grieving. Communities are suffering,” he said. “So we’re going to do more and we’re going to do better. Thoughts and prayers are just not going to cut it.”


Trudeau made the pledge in Toronto as he worked to get his campaign back on track after apologizing for wearing blackface years ago. The Liberals have also pledged to work with provinces and territories to empower municipalities to further restrict or ban handguns.

He made the announcement in the city’s Greektown neighbourhood, where a gunman killed two people and wounded 13 others last year in a shooting rampage.

The party says it will protect the rights of law-abiding hunters and vows not to re-establish the controversial long-gun registry that was scrapped by the previous Conservative government.

But Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer has said that Trudeau’s party is focused on the wrong things.

“Our plan goes after the real criminals. We’re going after illegal firearms, we’re standing up for honest Canadians.”

The Liberal proposal also includes pledges to create a buy-back program for all legally purchased assault rifles and a two-year amnesty while the program is being set up.

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