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Trudeau’s pivot: Vows to ban military-style assault rifles, including AR-15

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Photo: EuropaNewswire/Gado/Getty Images

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday the Liberal government would ban military-style semi-automatic weapons and institute a buyback program if re-elected.

Why it matters: The announcement comes around a month before the nation's federal election and outlines a clear contrast with the Conservative Party on the issue. A 2-year amnesty period would be put in place while the buyback program is instituted, according to the CBC.

Flashback: Cabinet official Bill Blair said earlier this year the Liberals would propose the ban, according to the Toronto Star, after shootings injured 4 during a victory celebration for the Raptors' NBA championship Toronto.

  • In June, parliament approved a bill to increase background checks on gun owners.

Context: The announcement comes after Trudeau has spent days explaining photos and a video of him that appeared to show him in brownface or blackface. A photo appeared first in TIME Magazine on Wednesday at a party in 2001. On Thursday, two more photos of Trudeau wearing blackface at other events surfaced. The Prime Minister said he could not confirm whether he had darkened his skin in any more instances.

Justin Trudeau