Federal amendment to Bill C-21 goes too far – Yukon NDP

December 8, 2022

Whitehorse, YT — The Yukon NDP is calling on the federal Liberal government to fix its proposed amendment to the firearms legislation and stop targeting legitimate hunting rifles and shotguns.

“The federal government is trying to sneak in the ban of common rifles and shotguns into legislation that was supposed to target handguns and community safety”, Yukon NDP Leader Kate White said.

“In the Yukon and across the North, these types of guns are routinely used for hunting.”

The amendment to Bill C-21 was proposed by a Liberal MP, and would expand the scope of prohibited weapons to include hunting rifles.

“This is an overreach by the federal government, and a clear sign of their disconnect with northern and rural communities,” said White. “Many Yukoners practice subsistence hunting and will use these guns to hunt bison, moose, ducks and geese. The Liberals in Ottawa need to realize this is our reality up in the North.”

“The NDP has long been an advocate for gun safety. The Liberals need to do a better job at balancing public safety with the realities of northern and rural communities. Right now, they are failing,” White added.

“I’m glad to see that the federal NDP is already speaking against this overreach and is working on fixing the Liberals’ mistakes.”

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