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Get on with promised gun-control measures, advocates urge Trudeau government

Nov 30, 2020 | 9:40 AM

OTTAWA — Advocates of stricter gun control are urging the Trudeau government to get on with promised reforms, saying they are months overdue.

Public Safety Minister Bill Blair has pledged new measures, including a buyback of recently outlawed firearms, stricter storage provisions and steps to control handguns.

Heidi Rathjen, coordinator of the group PolySeSouvient, told an online news conference today that several months later there are no signs of progress on legislation.

Rathjen was joined in the virtual session by victims of mass shootings who want to see government action.

The federal government outlawed a wide range of firearms by cabinet order in May, saying the guns were designed for the battlefield, not hunting or sport shooting. 

The measures have met with stiff criticism from some firearms owners and the federal Conservatives, who question the value of the ban.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 30, 2020.

The Canadian Press