By Fareed Khan
Surprisingly, gun control has become a major issue in the federal election, an issue where a majority of Canadians see the Conservatives as deficient and which may be an Achilles heel for the party. Blame for shining a light on this issue can be laid at the feet of Conservative Party leader Erin O'Toole who had refused to directly answer reporters' questions about his stance on which types of weapons he would ban as prime minister.
After days of equivocating and refusing to answer questions on whether he would maintain the ban on semi-automatic weapons put in place by Justin Trudeau’s government in 2020 following the mass shooting in Nova Scotia O’Toole seemed to reverse his position at a media conference in Vancouver on September 5th where he said he would maintain the Liberal ban on assault style weapons.
While some are optimistic about the reversal in O’Toole’s position most gun control advocates are cynical about the change of heart because it is yet another shift in his policy on gun controls. When running for the leadership of the Conservative Party he promised Canada's gun lobby that he would weaken gun controls. In the Conservative Party's campaign platform he promises to repeal Bill C-71, legislation which overhauled the process of background checks for gun purchasers, put in place new record-keeping requirements for retailers, and further restricted transporting of firearms. In addition, the Conservative platform commits to reviewing the Liberals' May 2020 Order in Council which banned semi-automatic assault-style rifles which have been used in many mass shootings in the US and several mass shootings in Canada.
By saying one thing to the Canadian gun lobby, refusing to directly answer questions by reporters about the 2020 gun ban over the past week, and now shifting his position again, O'Toole has not only given life to this issue at a critical moment in election campaign, he also appears to be making up policy on the fly while at the same time looking less trustworthy on an issue that is important to a 82% of Canadians.
O’Toole’s shifting position on gun control is also being watched closely by Canadian Muslims, who have a direct interest in this issue. The mass murder of six Muslims by a white supremacist at the Quebec City mosque in January 2017 was committed with legally owned semi-automatic weapons of the type that are included in the 2020 ban, and following the shooting the Muslim community called for a ban on assault style weapons. Consequently, O’Toole’s vacillating on the issue of gun restrictions is of major concern to Canadian Muslims and will impact how they will vote in the many urban ridings where they are concentrated.
O’Toole’s seemingly cozy relationship with the Canadian gun lobby has also caught the attention of Canadians. His close ties to the National Firearms Association (NFA), and the fact that his campaign manager use to work for them, is seen as deeply troubling. The NFA has deep connections with the National Rifle Association (NRA) in the US, a group that is seen as being responsible for the gun carnage seen across America, enabled by their forceful opposition to sensible gun controls.
The Conservatives have a long history of being hostile to any efforts to impose strict gun controls and reduce ownership of guns by Canadians. It was the Conservatives under Stephen Harper that shut down Canada’s long gun registry over the opposition of a majority of Canadians, Canada’s police chiefs, and a majority of Canadian premiers. In addition, the issue of gun controls has played heavily in the last two Conservative Party leadership contests.
It is up to Canadians to get the truth from O'Toole and hold him and his party to any commitments he makes about maintaining Canada's strong gun control policies. Because if Canadian gun lobbyists had their way Canada would be heading down the same road that the US is on when it comes to gun controls, and Canadians would be subjected to the same types of gun violence that occurs every day across America. It is something that a majority of Canadians are opposed to, and an issue on which Canadians deserve clear answers from a party leader wanting to become the next prime minister.
© 2021 The
View From Here. © 2021 Fareed Khan. All Rights Reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment