FACT CHECK: Scheer Misleads in Winnipeg about His Plan to Weaken Gun Laws

October 14, 2019

Winnipeg, MB – This afternoon, Andrew Scheer told a reporter in Winnipeg that he won’t weaken gun laws. He’s not telling the truth.

Reporter: A Liberal candidate is posting ads with images of semi-automatic weapons and a claim that you will repeal gun control measures if elected. We want to get your reaction on that ad that is circulating online, and would you repeal gun laws in Canada if you do form government in October?

Andrew Scheer: There is no surprise that the Liberals are spreading misinformation. They’ve been doing that even before the campaign started. I’ve been very clear with Canadians. A Conservative government will ensure that our firearms laws go after gang members and criminals, people who traffic in illegal firearms. We will maintain the robust regime around classifications of many, many firearms are prohibited in Canada, and that will continue.

The problem for Scheer is he didn’t tell the truth.

Andrew Scheer has promised to repeal common sense gun control measures like enhanced background checks that our government put into law with Bill C-71.

On September 19, 2018, Andrew Scheer said “should Bill C-71 pass this fall, a Conservative government elected in 2019 will repeal it and replace it.”

Bill C-71 makes Canadian communities safer. It ensures people with a history of violence are not granted a licence to own firearms – through expanded background checks – and helps keep firearms out of the wrong hands, by requiring sellers to verify the validity of a firearms licence before selling a non-restricted firearm.

Andrew Scheer wants to make it even easier to buy assault weapons.

The official policy of the Conservative Party is to move many assault weapons from restricted to non-restricted status.

A Liberal government would ban assault weapons. A Conservative government would make them easier to buy.