Manitoba Premier Says Municipal Handgun Bans Won’t Boost Safety

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TheGunBlog.ca — Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister said this week Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s plans for municipal handgun prohibitions won’t improve safety because violent offenders can easily work around them.

Pallister made the comment to reporters in Winnipeg on Jan. 15, according to a YouTube video of the media briefing shared by the Manitoba government.

Trudeau is scheduled to meet Pallister next week when the federal cabinet meets in Winnipeg.

Pallister Quotes
(Starting at 17:51 in the video)

Our position is: We want to take measures forward that work to make streets safer for people, and municipal handgun bans don’t do that, that’s just a patchwork.

A person who wants a gun is just going to go outside the municipality. Come on, use your head.

If we’re going to restrict handguns and get them … If we’re going to take measures, we need to do it as a country, if it’s going to be effective. So let’s talk about effective measures.

So again, public safety is another of the issues I’d like to speak with the prime minister about.

…

I don’t want it to be taken I’m critical of the mayor, either. I know that some of you like to play that game.

I’m not critical of people desiring to see safer streets, and I’m not critical of suggestions being brought forward in respect of how to achieve that.

But what we should all be after is solutions that work to make our streets safer, practical solutions that work.

Source: Pallister Media Briefing via YouTube, 15 Jan. 2020

Gun Culture

Hunting and sport shooting are at the heart of Canadian culture, heritage and tradition.

About 2.2 million men and women have a federal firearm Possession and Acquisition Licence.

Millions more of our family and friends of all ages also hunt and shoot safely and responsibly.

Confiscate or Incarcerate

Trudeau promised new laws for municipalities to expel federally licensed handgun owners by prohibiting their gear.

His plans will also threaten us with jail unless we obey his orders to surrender 250,000 of our mainly “Non-restricted” hunting and sporting rifles.

Policy Failure

The complexity and cost of Trudeau’s planned confiscations, plus rising opposition to them, suggest he will fail.

Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario and police chiefs across Canada oppose Trudeau’s goal to criminalize hundreds of thousands of honest, lawful men and women.

The Winnipeg Free Press reported excerpts of Pallister’s comments on Jan. 15.

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Correction: Corrects spelling in Pallister quote: “Come on, use your head.”