Poilievre dodges questions about repealing national handgun ban

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre dodged questions Sunday about whether he would repeal the federal government's handgun ban, a measure brought in to tamp down on the diversion of legal firearms into the hands of bad actors.

Poilievre hasn't said much during this campaign about what he would do with the Liberal firearms legislation he voted against while in Parliament, but he has blasted the last government's "assault-style" firearm buyback program as a "gun grab" that he would scrap.

Gun control advocates say any legislation to curb the flow of firearms is a worthy measure to try and reduce incidents of crime and violence. Firearms rights advocates meanwhile say the Liberal suite of policies only punish lawful gun owners who play by the rules.

In 2022, after a spate of violent gun crime and the Nova Scotia massacre, former prime minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet introduced a "freeze" on the sale, purchase and transfer of handguns. The ban was later codified in law with Bill C-21, the government's controversial overhaul of firearms legislation.

Asked Sunday what he would do about the handgun ban specifically at a campaign stop in Surrey, B.C., Poilievre said most firearm-related crime is caused by illegal firearms coming up from the U.S. and he questioned whether there is even really a handgun ban in place.

"Criminals are able to get handguns everywhere they go," Poilievre said. "The problem is illegal guns coming from the United States of America."

Poilievre pivoted to his proposal to lock up criminals for longer, including those convicted of firearms offences. Poilievre is proposing life sentences for certain traffickers.

"The police have said that the current Liberal policies just prevent off-duty police officers and military veterans from practising their craft without going after the criminals who caused the crime," he said.

Pressed by reporters if that means the handgun ban would be gone under a government led by him, Poilievre ignored the follow-up and moved on to the next question.

Poilievre told a Quebec firearms advocate in January that any firearms ban is "stupid" and he vowed to repeal C-21 — comments he hasn't made in public since then.

Liberal Leader Mark Carney has pounced on Poilievre's vague statements about firearms.

At the English-language leaders' debate last week, Carney said Poilievre's tough talk about tackling crime is meaningless if he doesn't follow through with a commitment to rein in guns.

"Every single time there has been a vote in the House of Commons on gun control, Mr. Poilievre has voted against it. You can't be tough on crime unless you're tough on guns," Carney said.

PolySeSouvient, a gun control advocacy group, has endorsed the Liberals, saying Carney is the best leader to deliver on its demands to remove "assault-style" firearms from circulation, ban large-capacity magazines and follow through with policies to curb domestic violence.