Stop allowing domestic gun lobby to set foreign policy

OTTAWA –The NDP are calling out the Conservatives for putting the interests of the domestic pro-gun lobby ahead of taking action on the illegal trade of weapons.

“The Arms Trade Treaty seeks to stem the illegal flow of conventional weapons which fuels conflicts, empowers violent extremists, and contributes to human rights violations around the world,” said Official Opposition Foreign Affairs critic Paul Dewar (Ottawa Centre). “The treaty will have no impact on domestic firearms owners. It’s outrageous that the government is making its decision based on gun lobby ideology rather than the reality that this treaty will help save millions of lives.”

More than a hundred countries are now signatories, including the United States. New Democrats urge the Conservatives to join the rest of the world in working toward a future without an illegal weapons trade.

“We already knew that the government delegation to the treaty negotiations, which included representatives from the domestic gun lobby, repeatedly sought to weaken and undermine the agreement during deliberations,” said Official Opposition deputy Foreign Affairs critic Hélène Laverdière (Laurier—Sainte-Marie). “But asking for their permission to sign the treaty itself is a new low for this government.”