KITCHENER — The issue of gun control has reared its head again on the federal campaign trail, after the Liberal platform was released on Sunday.
Party Leader Justin Trudeau met with health professionals in Mississauga the following day to discuss gun control. This has rubbed many legal gun owners the wrong way, leaving them feeling unfairly blamed for the gang violence occurring in the GTA.
Tracy Wilson is the VP of Public Relations for the Canada Coalition for Firearm Rights (CCFR), Canada's only registered in-house register gun lobbyist. She says legal gun owners agree with the Liberal party on wanting a safer Canada.
"I think it is important for governments at all levels to focus on the actual problems that contribute to the violence we see in the streets."
Wilson has also advocated for several policies mirrored in the Liberal platform, such as investing community programs, at-risk youth initiatives, and border control.
"These are all things that all Canadians can get behind and support," she says. Where they diverge is their respective stances on gun control, which includes a buyback program and banning all military-style assault rifles.
The Liberals have promised to dedicated $400 million towards tackling gun crime; a portion of which will be invested "to help municipalities meet the needs of communities at risk," according to their platform.
"However, if you take a good look at the announcement from the Liberals and the documentation that goes along with the cost, states the 250 million dollar investment is not for combating crime. 200 million of that goes towards a gun buyback program should they be re-elected," she alleged.
In the Liberal platform, available on their website, the party states they will be investing $50 million each year, for five years. Under their "New Investments" page under "Tackling gun crime" it states $250 million for the 2020-21 period, and $50 million for each following year.
The party has not stated the cost of their buyback program.
"Meanwhile we got community groups that are begging and fighting to get some resources to run their programs and to actually make a real difference. It's really disappointing," Wilson says.
"A big part of his platform and a huge expense to taxpayers, is going to be this gun buyback program. To take legal guns that are lock in the safes of legal licence vetted gun owners, who use them at government approved ranges only, and take them and put them in the smelter."
She alleges the gun control policy was not motivated by studies or facts, but by publicity. She points to the New Zealand response in the aftermath of the Christchurch shooting. Their Prime Minister quickly put into law a gun bans and saw strong positive response from people across the world.
Despite being the only registered in-house register gun lobbyist in Canada, Wilson says she has not been approached nor consulted by the Liberal Party on the CCFR views. She's says they are open to speaking with any government body on gun issues, but this federal election, they will be campaigning against the Liberals.
