Canadian Press File Photo

By CHAT News Today with files from The Canadian Press

Firearms ban

PM announces ban on 1,500 types of military-grade assault weapons

May 1, 2020 | 9:46 AM

The federal Liberal government banning 1,500 models and variants of military-grade assault weapons in Canada.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said such weapons have just one purpose.

“To kill the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time,” he said, adding there is no use and no place for them in Canada.

Trudeau said that effective immediately, it is no longer permitted to buy, sell, transport, import or use military-grade assault weapons in Canada.

“With each passing year more families are ripped apart by tragedy. This needs to stop.”

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The order from the prime minister, which takes effect immediately, has a two-year amnesty period for current owners and there will be a compensation program that will require a bill passed in Parliament.

In the meantime, they can be exported, returned to manufacturers, and transported only to deactivate them or get rid of them. In certain limited circumstances, they can be used for hunting.

Early in his address Trudeau cited a list of mass shootings in Canada, including Ecole Polytechnique in 1989, Mayerthorpe in 2005 and the recent shooting in Nova Scotia.

“As of today the market for assault weapons in Canada is closed. Enough is enough, said Public Safety Minister Bill Blair.

Blair said guns that have no use in sport shooting have been a growing part of the Canadian market. The former chief of the Toronto police said he’s heard concerns about the militarization of police forces and that’s a direct response to the militarization of society.

“The Government of Alberta is concerned about all crime, including the illegal use of firearms. Today’s order by Ottawa does little to target criminals. Instead, Ottawa is singling out law-abiding Canadians who purchased their property legally, have owned these items safely for years, and who have committed no crimes,”  Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said ater in a statement.

“We know that the overwhelming majority of firearms used criminally in Canada are smuggled in illegally from the United States. Instead of addressing this, Ottawa will instead spend vast sums of money to criminalize law-abiding Canadians. That money would be far better used to pursue the smugglers and drug gangs that plague our society,” he added.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer also released a statement.

“Justin Trudeau is using the current pandemic and the immediate emotion of the horrific attack in Nova Scotia to push the Liberals’ ideological agenda and make major firearms policy changes. That is wrong.”

“The Trudeau Liberals have made it clear throughout this crisis that they do not respect the democratic role of Parliament. That cannot continue. If the Prime Minister has the strength of his convictions, he should wait until the health crisis has passed and introduce legislation in the House of Commons, so that it can be debated, and Canadians’ voices can be heard.”