The socialist NDP’s 2015 “Policy Book” contains a proposal to “enable all municipalities, provinces, and territories to implement a ban on handguns.” This follows many times its leader Thomas Mulcair has called for a registration of all firearms via a “gun registry,” ostensibly in the interests of public safety.
On December 3, 2014, nearing the December 6 anniversary of the Montreal Massacre in 1989, Muclair said, “For the NDP, the obligation of result is that the police are able to track every gun. That has to be there both for public protection and for the protection of the police themselves.” NDP support for federal firearm registration is striking considering the $2 billion boondoggle of a previous attempt at such a venture.
According to the Canadian Shooting Sports Association, the Conservative Party of Canada has been mostly “respectful of Canada’s firearms’ community.” The CSSA contrasted this with the NDP’s support of the UN’s Arms Trade Treaty, and how subscription to it would “abdicate Canada’s legislative sovereignty to the UN.” Both the Liberals and Greens support the ATT and call for Canada to join it and implement its measures.
According to Statistics Canada, firearm-related homicides decreased 24 percent from 2012 to 2013 (the most recent year of available data), from 172 to 131. For the past twenty years, handguns were used in about one quarter of firearm-related homicides. The year 2013 saw the lowest rate of firearm-related homicides since data was first made available in 1974. Federal regulations pertaining to firearms ownership in Canada already require licensing, which requires a two-day (typically done on weekends) course. Background checks are also required.
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