The federal cabinet is having “delicate conversations” with stakeholders about its proposed gun restriction bill, says Government House Leader Mark Holland, noting that the legislation centres on “a very emotionally charged issue.”
“We are having conversations right now and over the last month or so since the House broke with stakeholders on both sides,” Holland said, as first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter.
“This is a very emotionally charged issue,” he said. “We want to make sure that we get weapons that were involved in mass-casualty events—weapons that are used to do mass killings—off the streets.”
‘Work with Other Parties’
Holland said passing Bill C-21 will take some time and will require gaining the support of other parties.“We have to work with the other parties,” he said, adding that cabinet is having ongoing discussions with parliamentarians on striking a gun-restriction balance.
“That isn’t an easy conversation and that’s why I don’t have an immediate answer around timeline, but it’s our our objective to do that as quickly as possible,” he said.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party’s public safety critic Raquel Dancho have both said the federal government should focus on lessening illegal gun ownership in Canada rather than targeting “hunters and farmers.”
“Any amendment in any way that contravenes your treaty rights is an amendment we will not support,” Singh told the AFN on Dec. 8.