Trudeau listening to 'concerns' assault-style gun definition covers hunting rifles

Photo: The Canadian Press

A restricted gun licence holder holds a AR-15 at his home in Langley, B.C. Friday, May 1, 2020. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he's listening to concerns that some of the firearms his government is looking to ban are in fact used more for hunting. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is listening to concerns that some of the firearms his government is looking to ban are in fact used more for hunting.

The remarks at a press conference in Ontario today suggest Trudeau is shifting his tone on a piece of gun-control legislation being studied by members of Parliament.

A Liberal amendment to Bill C-21 would enshrine a regulatory ban on so-called assault-style weapons by inking an evergreen definition for such firearms into law.

Opposition Conservatives say the proposed definition would bar some firearms used for hunting, which has prompted Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino to say that is not the government's intention and accuse Tory MPs of "fearmongering."

Trudeau says today that his government is consulting with Canadians on the list and is listening to "a lot of feedback around concerns" coming from hunters.