A group of people affected by the Ecole Polytechnique shooting gathered on Monday to endorse the federal Liberals’ firearm control plan, saying other parties were not promising enough to fight gun violence.
Suzanne Laplante-Edward, whose daughter Anne-Marie Edward was among the 10 victims of the shooting, said she feared what would happen to Canada’s gun laws if a Conservative government is elected.
“I’m here to tell the people of Canada that if they elect again a Conservative government they can kiss gun control goodbye,” she said. “It was the Liberals who started gun control with Jean Chretien. It was very courageous of him and it went well until we had Mr. Harper.”
The group praised the Bloc Quebecois, New Democratic Party and Green Party, saying the parties’ platforms call for more stringent gun control but they believe the Liberal plan goes the furthest.
During the campaign Liberal leader Justin Trudeau has promised to give municipalities the authority to ban handguns. Earlier this month a group of Toronto-area mayors criticized Trudeau for not going far enough, saying they would like to see a national ban of the weapons.
The Liberals have also promised to ban assault-style rifles.
The plan has also been criticized by gun rights groups, saying the assault rifle ban is “extreme action against Canadians who are responsible and legal firearm owners.”
