Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has unveiled a firearms policy aimed at protecting lawful gun owners while cracking down on violent criminals, drawing a stark contrast to the Liberals’ billion-dollar gun buyback program that has yet to collect a single firearm.
The Conservative Party of Canada released its new firearms policy, its proposed budget, and other campaign promises on Monday.
“While the Liberals go after farmers and hunters, we’ll go after real criminals,” reads the policy. “Our plan protects the rights of lawful gun owners while cracking down on the violent offenders and illegal guns that cause almost all the gun crime in Canada.”
The Conservatives have pledged to create enhanced weapons prohibition orders targeting repeat offenders. The party further committed to clearing the licensing backlog and adding plain language to the Firearms Act so that law-abiding Canadians and the police can better understand and enforce the law.
The Conservatives also vowed to “protect licensed sport shooters and hunters because law-abiding Canadians are not the problem.”
Vice president of public relations for the Canadian Coalition for Firearms Rights, Tracey Wilson, told True North that Poilievre’s plan might restore the “social contract” between gun owners and the government, which she said is crucial to law and order in society.
“The Conservative platform on guns and public safety is a balance of measures to keep guns out of the wrong hands, while respecting those who legally own, use and enjoy their firearms,” said Wilson.
She added that the Conservatives’ investment in public safety will reduce guns smuggled across the border, which account for the vast majority of gun crimes nationwide.
The Toronto Police Association agrees, claiming that only the Conservatives have maintained a strong position on public safety issues and have been actively supported by police services. The TPA has also cited that 85 per cent of gun crimes are committed with firearms illegally imported into Canada.
“I think this endorsement speaks volumes,” said Wilson. “We’ve had almost ten years of failed Liberal public safety policy to study, and the results are in… Canada has never been such a violent and dangerous country.”
Despite already allocating around $600 million in taxpayer funds towards the gun buyback scheme, the Liberals have yet to collect a single gun.
Still, Liberal leader Mark Carney has pledged to “reinvigorate” the program. Critics have warned that it will cost billions of dollars and make Canadians’ lives no safer.
“If Carney wins the election, the buyback that the liberals are promising will surely cost somewhere around $10 billion to complete,” said Rod Giltaca, executive director of the CCFR. “One can only imagine what deficit spending at that level could accomplish for public safety if used more wisely.”
Wilson said that Carney did not include any funding for the buyback program in his recent budget, which would see him spend over $120 billion more than Poilievre.
“So either he’s lying about carrying through with it, or lying about how expensive it will be for taxpayers,” said Wilson.
Poilievre’s crime reform also pledged to make several other changes to restore public safety.
Among the changes are life sentences for fentanyl trafficking, illegal gun trafficking and human trafficking, repealing the Liberals’ catch and release policy, ending tent cities, a three strikes and you’re out rule, and much more.
“A new Conservative government will pass the biggest crack down on crime in our history to bring back safe streets with tough laws, more enforcement, and real consequences for violent crime,” reads the Conservatives’ plan for change.