Photo courtesy Alex McCuaig - Trap Club member Harold Schwandt shoots clays on Saturday Sept. 7, 2019.

By Alex McCuaig

Election guns

Federal candidates talk guns

Sep 9, 2019 | 5:40 PM

Medicine Hat, AB – With the federal election call just days away, what local issues will be front and centre has yet to be determined.

One issue which has been a live one in the past has been gun laws. The federal government passed some amendments to the Firearms Act and launched a review of handgun laws in Canada in 2018. Objections to those moves paled in comparison to the backlash the government faced over the long-gun registry which was repealed in 2012.

The three announced candidates for the Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner riding explained their platforms on the issue of gun laws.

Incumbent Conservative MP Glen Motz said laws regulating firearms should be focused on the combination of guns and gangs and not on law-abiding owners.

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“Laws need to be focused on tougher penalties for criminals, gang affiliation, bail and parole violations where those individuals are gang related,” said Motz.

Citing the gun violence in Toronto, Green Party candidate Shannon Hawthorne said her party would like to see both assault weapons and handguns banned, with a few specific exceptions.

“The exception being those guns used for sport or police. And by sport, we mean hunting rifles and shooting rifles,” she said.

People’s Party candidate Andrew Nelson said his party would like to see a substantial revamp of Canada’s gun laws.

“We want to replace the Firearms Act and the supporting legislation with new legislation that will provide an effective measure to improve public safety and fight crime,” said Nelson.

Both Hawthorne and Nelson said they haven’t heard many concerns on the issue of gun laws from constituents.

The federal election is expected to be called this week and no later than Sunday.

by Alex McCuaig

Federal candidates talk guns

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