Media Releases
September 8, 2008
“A new Liberal government will make our cities, our communities, and our schools safer by getting military assault weapons off our streets,” said Mr. Dion at an event at Dawson College. “Military assault weapons have no connection to hunting or sport shooting, and serve absolutely no purpose in our society. No one outside of the military needs these weapons and we would all be safer without them in Canada.”
A Liberal government would ensure that the list of prohibited weapons is updated to include all military assault weapons. This approach was supported last Thursday by Coroner Jacques Ramsay in his report into the tragic shootings at Dawson College in 2006. A Liberal government will ensure that semi-automatic rifles with a legitimate connection to hunting or sport shooting are not included in the prohibition.
“The Conservatives’ ideological opposition to reasonable firearms restrictions is simply unacceptable,” said Mr. Dion. “It is wrong. It is not the Canada we want to build. And this election is about the type of Canada we want to live in.”
Mr. Dion also announced that a Liberal government would make changes to the government’s Firearms Advisory Committee to ensure that the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness receives balanced and informed advice when it comes to firearms use in Canada. Under the Conservatives the committee had been quietly stacked with firearms enthusiasts, providing little in the way of unbiased advice.
“While the voices of legitimate gun owners deserve to be heard on the committee, we will ensure that there are representatives of major police associations – like the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and the Canadian Police Association, health and safety experts and true advocates of gun control on the committee. This will ensure that the measures we implement with respect to firearms actually make Canadians safer,” he said.
“Stephen Harper cannot be tough on crime when he is soft on guns,” said Mr. Dion. “The time has come for the government to get these dangerous guns off our streets and a new Liberal government will do just that.”
Click here for more information.
Liberals announce ban on military assault weapons
MONTREAL – A Liberal government would move quickly to take military assault weapons off Canadian streets while still respecting the voices of legitimate gun owners, Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion said today.“A new Liberal government will make our cities, our communities, and our schools safer by getting military assault weapons off our streets,” said Mr. Dion at an event at Dawson College. “Military assault weapons have no connection to hunting or sport shooting, and serve absolutely no purpose in our society. No one outside of the military needs these weapons and we would all be safer without them in Canada.”
A Liberal government would ensure that the list of prohibited weapons is updated to include all military assault weapons. This approach was supported last Thursday by Coroner Jacques Ramsay in his report into the tragic shootings at Dawson College in 2006. A Liberal government will ensure that semi-automatic rifles with a legitimate connection to hunting or sport shooting are not included in the prohibition.
“The Conservatives’ ideological opposition to reasonable firearms restrictions is simply unacceptable,” said Mr. Dion. “It is wrong. It is not the Canada we want to build. And this election is about the type of Canada we want to live in.”
Mr. Dion also announced that a Liberal government would make changes to the government’s Firearms Advisory Committee to ensure that the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness receives balanced and informed advice when it comes to firearms use in Canada. Under the Conservatives the committee had been quietly stacked with firearms enthusiasts, providing little in the way of unbiased advice.
“While the voices of legitimate gun owners deserve to be heard on the committee, we will ensure that there are representatives of major police associations – like the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and the Canadian Police Association, health and safety experts and true advocates of gun control on the committee. This will ensure that the measures we implement with respect to firearms actually make Canadians safer,” he said.
“Stephen Harper cannot be tough on crime when he is soft on guns,” said Mr. Dion. “The time has come for the government to get these dangerous guns off our streets and a new Liberal government will do just that.”
Click here for more information.
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