Read the policies and promises of the six main parties on this election's pressing issues. These will be updated as parties add to their platforms ahead of the Oct. 21 election.
Liberals already passed Bill C-71, expanding firearm background checks. But they’ve rolled out more gun policy mid-campaign, promising to ban semi-automatic assault-style rifles and buy back any that were legally purchased. They want to give cities more power to restrict or ban handguns. The party has reiterated it will not bring back the long-gun registry.
CONSERVATIVE
Leader Andrew Scheer is strongly against a handgun ban, arguing it punishes lawful gun owners. He’s proposing lifetime bans for those convicted of violent crimes or gang activity, and for those who buy firearms in bulk and resell them on the black market. Conservatives have also promised more money for police to combat gun and gang violence.
NEW DEMOCRAT
The party has not endorsed a national handgun ban but has called for cities to be given the power to ban handguns in their jurisdictions. It also wants to crack down on illegal handguns and assault weapons and target gun smuggling. Following gun violence in 2018, Leader Jagmeet Singh called on Liberals to spend $100 million a year to tackle gang violence.
GREEN
Greens are in favour of both a handgun and an assault rifle ban. To make it happen, they would run a confidential buy-back program. The party wants to make sure they are “kept out of our cities.” It would permit handguns if “restricted to secure shooting ranges.”
BLOC QUÉBÉCOIS
The party has not released a policy on this issue. But guns have been a big talking point in Quebec since the 2017 mosque shooting that claimed six lives. The province instituted its own gun registry a year after the shooting, though most guns still have not been registered.
THE PEOPLE'S PARTY
The party has criticized any moves to make gun ownership more complex and supports lifetime firearm certifications after proper vetting and training. It promises anyone who legally bought a gun and had to relinquish it to the government due to new rules would be reimbursed. It wants future regulation of firearms to be handled by Parliament, not police or cabinet.
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