Trudeau listening to concerns assault-style gun definition covers hunting rifles
Trudeau listening to concerns assault-style gun definition covers hunting rifles
OTTAWA -
The Liberal government is listening to concerns that some of the firearms it's looking to ban are used primarily for hunting, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday.
He made the comment during a press conference in Ingersoll, Ont., suggesting a shift in tone from the Liberals on a piece of gun-control legislation being studied by members of Parliament.
A Liberal amendment to Bill C-21 would enshrine a regulatory ban on so-called assault-style weapons by inking an evergreen definition for such firearms into law.
That amendment has drawn criticism from firearms groups as well as the Opposition Conservatives, who say a proposed list of the weapons that will be captured by that definition includes some guns that are use mainly used for hunting.
Critics, including Tory Leader Pierre Poilievre, have said that unfairly targets hunters and farmers while failing to address the country's issues with gun violence.
Even the federal New Democrats, who have partnered with the minority Liberal government to pass legislation on shared interests, have voiced concerns about the impact the amendment would have on hunters, particularly those who are Indigenous.
Trudeau said Monday his government is consulting Canadians about the list, saying, "That's what we're listening to feedback on now, to make sure that we're not capturing weapons that are primarily hunting weapons."
He said his government is targeting weapons "designed to kill the largest number of people, as quickly as possible," reiterating that "we're not going after hunting rifles or shotguns."
During question period, Poilievre continued to press the government and repeated his demand to reverse the ban on such weapons.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino -- who has previously accused the Conservatives of "fearmongering" -- responded in the House of Commons by noting that Tuesday marks the 33rd anniversary of the Polytechnique Massacre, where a gunman killed 14 women.
Earlier in the day, Mendicino blamed the opposition for sowing confusion among Canadians.
One person he suggested may have fallen prey to that confusion was Montreal Canadiens star Carey Price.
Over the weekend, Price posted a photo of himself holding a firearm on Instagram with the message, "I love my family, I love my country and I care for my neighbour. I am not a criminal or a threat to society." He went on to call the Liberal gun legislation "unjust."
Mendicino said it appears the gun Price is holding in the picture is legal and will remain so under the government's legislation.
"You see now the consequences of that, where people are operating from false assumptions and confusion. We need to make sure that we have a thoughtful debate that is based on the facts," he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2022.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that he’s invited premiers to Ottawa for a 'working meeting' to discuss a health-care funding deal, on Feb. 7.
As the minority Liberals plot out their policy moves ahead of the 2023 parliamentary sitting, weighing heavily are commitments Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made to NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh that have to be acted on this year in order to uphold the two-party confidence-and-supply deal. Here is what needs to get done to keep the deal alive.
Governor of the Bank of Canada Tiff Macklem says he thinks Canada is 'turning the corner' on inflation, but he isn't ruling out that the country could enter a 'mild recession.' In an English-language broadcast exclusive interview with CTV National News Ottawa Bureau Chief Joyce Napier, Macklem encouraged Canadians to prepare a 'buffer' to withstand 'tougher times.'
After six weeks, more than 70 witnesses, and the submission of more than 7,000 documents into evidence, the public hearing portion of the Public Order Emergency Commission wrapped up on Friday.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sat down with CTV National News Chief News Anchor and Senior Editor Omar Sachedina for a year-end interview to reflect on the political shifts experienced in 2022, and to contemplate the challenges ahead in 2023. Here is a full transcript of the interview.
Like Jacinda Ardern, Justin Trudeau’s early handling of the pandemic was a reassuring communications exercise where harsh isolation measures went down easier with a hefty helping of government support, Don Martin writes in an exclusive opinion column for CTVNews.ca. 'But like the New Zealand Prime Minister, the Canadian PM's best days are arguably behind him. '
The Standing Committee on Transport gathered Thursday with MPs demanding an explanation for how that highly unusual Canadian winter combination of heavy snow and cold temperatures which delayed or cancelled thousands of post-pandemic reunions. What they got was a gold-medal finger-pointing performance, writes Don Martin in an exclusive opinion column for CTVNews.ca.
From a more coherent public health and carbon tax position, to cutting the 'Freedom Convoy' connection and smiling more, Pierre Poilievre has seven New Year's resolutions to woo the voters in 2023, writes Don Martin in an exclusive column for CTVNews.ca.
Hope was in short supply just ten weeks ago on this 10-kilometre spit of sand at the end of the migration route for tens of thousands of Canadian snowbirds, Don Martin writes in an exclusive column for CTVNews.ca from Florida's Fort Myers Beach. But there are signs, he says, things may return to normal much faster than anyone expected.
The coronavirus remains a global health emergency, the World Health Organization chief said Monday, after a key advisory panel found the pandemic may be nearing an 'inflection point' where higher levels of immunity can lower virus-related deaths.
The federal government failed to spend tens of billions of dollars in the last fiscal year on promised programs and services, including new military equipment, affordable housing and support for veterans.
OPS and Ottawa Bylaw officers issued 192 parking tickets and 67 Provincial Offences Notices in downtown Ottawa this weekend, as people gathered marked the one-year anniversary of the 'Freedom Convoy'.
Former U.K. prime minister Boris Johnson said that President Vladimir Putin didn't seem serious about avoiding war in the days before Russia invaded Ukraine, and at one point told the British leader it would be easy to kill him with a missile.
When 1990s suede fringe jackets started making a comeback last year, a U.K.-based vintage clothing company decided to order four tonnes of suede from a supplier in the United States. Along with that shipment came a once-in-a lifetime discovery.
A suicide bomber detonated explosives during crowded prayers at a mosque inside a police compound in Pakistan on Monday, causing the roof to cave in. At least 34 people were killed and 150 wounded, officials said.
Anti-poverty activists are praising the Quebec basic income program as a good step toward helping people meet their basic needs — but say strict eligibility criteria exclude many of the province’s lowest-income residents.
An emotional ceremony took place today marking the sixth anniversary of the Quebec City mosque shooting, held for the first time in the same room where many of the victims were killed. Six men died that night: Mamadou Tanou Barry, Ibrahima Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassane, Azzeddine Soufiane and Aboubaker Thabti were gunned down not long after evening prayers at the suburban Quebec City mosque.
OPS and Ottawa Bylaw officers issued 192 parking tickets and 67 Provincial Offences Notices in downtown Ottawa this weekend, as people gathered marked the one-year anniversary of the 'Freedom Convoy'.
Former Mississauga, Ont. mayor Hazel McCallion, nicknamed 'Hurricane Hazel,' has died. She was 101 years old. Premier Doug Ford said McCallion died peacefully at her home early Sunday morning.
A mining corporation apologized for losing a highly radioactive capsule over a 1,400-kilometre stretch of Western Australia, as authorities combed parts of the road looking for the tiny but dangerous substance.
The Virginia elementary school where a 6-year-old boy shot his teacher reopened Monday with stepped-up security and a new administrator, as nervous parents and students expressed optimism about a return to the classroom.
A suicide bomber detonated explosives during crowded prayers at a mosque inside a police compound in Pakistan on Monday, causing the roof to cave in. At least 34 people were killed and 150 wounded, officials said.
Israeli forces killed a Palestinian man in a flashpoint city in the occupied West Bank on Monday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. The killing marks the latest bloodshed in spiralling violence that comes as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits the region.
Former U.K. prime minister Boris Johnson said that President Vladimir Putin didn't seem serious about avoiding war in the days before Russia invaded Ukraine, and at one point told the British leader it would be easy to kill him with a missile.
Turkiye could greenlight Finland's membership in NATO before that of Sweden, if the military alliance and both Nordic countries agree to it, the Turkish foreign minister said Monday.
The federal government failed to spend tens of billions of dollars in the last fiscal year on promised programs and services, including new military equipment, affordable housing and support for veterans.
While RSV and flu cases steadily decline in Canada, the World Health Organization is set to announce on Monday whether it still considers COVID-19 a global health emergency, but one infectious disease specialist says we still need to keep an eye on the coronavirus.
Monday could mark a major milestone in the history of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the World Health Organization stands poised to decide whether or not to declare an end to the global public health emergency.
Russia's embassy in North Korea says the country has eased stringent epidemic controls in capital Pyongyang that were placed during the past five days to slow the spread of respiratory illnesses.
YouTube superstar MrBeast is making the world clearer -- for at least 1,000 people. The content creator's latest stunt is paying for cataract removal for 1,000 people who were blind or near-blind but could not afford the surgery.
What looks like a giant teddy bear’s face peering into space from the surface of Mars is actually a satellite image of some craters and a circular fracture, scientists say.
Nvidia Corp Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang on Tuesday said that the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence will create powerful tools that require legal regulation and social norms that have yet to be worked out.
Trevor Noah feels more comfortable hosting the Grammy Awards for a third-straight year, but the former 'The Daily Show' host still has some nervousness about leading the ceremony with big-time acts like Beyonce, Adele and Harry Styles looking on.
South Korean actor Song Joong-ki married British actress Katy Louise Saunders Monday and the two are expecting a child, Song's agency, HighZium Studio, told CNN.
A survey by KPMG says most Black Canadians feel their employers made progress addressing anti-Black racism last year, but they worry about what a recession could mean for those gains. The report found 90 per cent of Black Canadians surveyed said their employers made progress on efforts to be more equitable and inclusive for Black employees in 2022.
Dutch consumer electronics and medical equipment maker Philips said Monday it is cutting 6,000 jobs worldwide over the next two years as it revealed a net loss of 1.6 billion euros (US$1.7 billion) in 2022, down from a net profit of 3.3 billion euros last year.
When 1990s suede fringe jackets started making a comeback last year, a U.K.-based vintage clothing company decided to order four tonnes of suede from a supplier in the United States. Along with that shipment came a once-in-a lifetime discovery.
Pet fish playing a video game in Japan managed to log on to the Nintendo Switch store, change their owner's avatar, set up a Pay Pal account and rack up a credit card bill.
On a bleak, windswept hillside in northeast Ukraine, three young boys recently discovered a cell phone signal, something difficult to find in their region since Russia invaded their country. and they've set up a makeshift school around the signal.
Novak Djokovic climbed into the Rod Laver Arena stands to celebrate his 10th Australian Open championship and record-tying 22nd Grand Slam title Sunday and, after jumping and pumping his fists with his team, he collapsed onto his back, crying.
Nissan and Renault have agreed to equalize the stakes they hold in each other, both sides said Monday, ironing out a source of conflict in the Japan-French auto alliance.
Hyundai cars in Canada don't have the same anti-theft issue compared to those in the United States, a company spokesperson says, following reports that two American auto insurers are refusing to write policies for older models.
Progressive and State Farm, two of America's largest auto insurers, are refusing to write policies in certain cities for some older Hyundai and Kia models that have been deemed too easy to steal, according to one of the insurance companies and media reports.
