https://oodmag.com/news/ford-against-firearms-ban/
Ontario Premier Doug Ford spoke out against the new federal firearms classification regulations, introduced on May 1, which banned 1,500 “military grade” firearms.
Ford said guns and gangs are the problem and that “the only way to tackle gun violence is to crack down on the illegal guns that are smuggled in daily at our borders.” He advocated more funding for border security and increased “legal ramifications for convicted gun crimes.”
He went on to say “The problem is not legal gun owners. We need to target smugglers and we need to throw the book at these gangsters out there terrorizing our streets.”
Buyback program criticized
The premier also criticized the cost of the buyback program — estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars — that will purchase the newly banned firearms from their legal licenced firearms owners.
“I can’t help but think that money could be put to much better use. Hunting down the violent criminals and stopping these illegal guns at our borders,” said Ford.
He said he would be willing to work with the federal government to strengthen border security and prevent smuggling but emphasized that harsher sentencing for gun related crimes was critical saying, “Don’t give them a slap on the wrist and then try to point the finger at legal, law abiding gun owners…”