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Justin Trudeau arrives in Toronto and promises to ban military-style assault rifles

Trudeau's name is everywhere this week, and most of the conversations are far from flattering

But the Prime Minister is making headlines for a different reason today ⁠— his policies on gun control

Trudeau spoke in Greektown this morning about stricter gun laws if the Liberals are re-elected next month, and choosing the neighbourhood where the Danforth shooting happened was no coincidence. 

"It's time to end gun violence in Canada. That’s what a re-elected liberal government will strive to do," he said. 

With 20 Liberal candidates standing behind him, Trudeau vowed to ban military-style assault rifles in Canada. 

While fully automatic assault weapons are already illegal in Canada, semi-automatic assault rifles, including the AR-15, are not. 

In order to help citizens get rid of their weapons, Trudeau said he would introduce a buyback program for all semi-automatic assault rifles that were legally purchased. 

On top of this, Trudeau promised to work with provinces to enable municipalities to restrict handguns. 

Following a recent spike in gun violence in Toronto, including three separate shootings last night alone, Mayor John Tory has made it clear he supports a nationwide, or at the very least city-wide, ban on handguns. 

Trudeau also said his gun control platform promises to prevent people who may pose danger to themselves or others from acquiring a gun, ensure that everyone importing ammunition shows proof of a valid firearms licence, and strengthen safe-storage laws to make it more difficult for legal weapons to fall into the wrong hands.

During his speech, Trudeau emphasized the difference between his gun control policies and those of the Conservatives. 

"Liberals are for tougher gun laws, Conservatives are for weaker gun laws," he said. 

And while some are saying the Prime Minister is using the gun control announcement to try and distract from the current scandal, others are praising him for taking a strong stance on a worsening issue. 

Lead photo by

Nate Erskine-Smith


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