Bill Blair, the Minister of Gun Banning, Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction, refused to confirm or deny the government’s plan to announce “a sweeping gun ban” next month at the Women Deliver conference in Vancouver.
Instead, he deliberately offered rhetoric and obfuscation (AKA political bullsh*t) where he should have offered precision and clarity.
“Our government remains absolutely committed to taking all the measures that are effective in keeping Canadians safe … there is no greater responsibility for any order of government than the safety of their citizens. We are prepared to consider whatever measures will be effective in doing so.”
It seems Minister Blair put PMO chief of staff Katie Telford’s bought-and-paid-for government media gnomes to work right away.
“Justin Trudeau will not be announcing a sweeping handgun ban when he appears next month at the big Women Deliver conference in Vancouver,” Liberal toady Susan Delacourt exclaimed in the Toronto Star.[i]
Except nobody ever said the government planned to ban handguns.
Mind you – in fairness – it is possible that the TorStar’s “Beacon of Enlightenment” doesn’t know the difference between a handgun and an AR-15. They certainly don’t seem to understand that an AR-15 and a police C8 Patrol Carbine are the same gun.
Last week, the CSSA reported two separate, unconnected government sources confirming the Liberal government’s proposed “sweeping gun ban” will include the AR-15 rifle.
Coincidentally, the Canadian Firearms Program is printing firearm licences “in limited capacity” until June 7 – the day after the Women Deliver conference ends.[ii]
Given the gun ban information is leaking from his own Liberal government, perhaps Minister Blair, a former police chief, can find the personal courage to answer one simple question:
Minister Blair, are you planning to ban the AR-15 rifle? Yes or no.
The CSSA, its 35,000 members and the 2.2 million lawful firearms owners of Canada demand your immediate response.
Sources:
[i] https://www.thestar.com/politics/political-opinion/2019/05/10/trudeau-government-takes-a-gender-neutral-approach-to-gun-control.html
[ii] https://thegunblog.ca/2019/05/15/rcmp-slows-printing-gun-licences-fuelling-speculation-of-bans/
An Open Letter to Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino