During a House of Commons public safety committee meeting Friday, the Liberals brought forward a motion that the amendment to Bill C-21 be withdrawn.

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino issued a statement saying that the issue is an emotional one.

“The government’s intent is to focus on AR-15s and other assault-style weapons – not guns commonly used for hunting. Hunting isn’t just a proud Canadian tradition, it’s a way of life for communities across this country. Bill C-21 isn’t about targeting hunters, it’s about certain guns that are too dangerous in other contexts.”

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre says this is temporary and the Liberals will try again.

“Because Canadians from all walks of life across the country, law abiding decent Indigenous Canadians, farmers, rural Canadians who follow the law stood up with Conservatives and forced him to temporarily pause this plan.”

The Liberal government is scrapping clauses that would have banned any rifle or shotgun that could potentially accept a magazine with more than five rounds, whether or not it actually has such a magazine. The government had also intended to ban long guns that generate more than 10,000 joules of energy, or guns with a muzzle wider than 20 millimetres.

Last month the head of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, Ray Orb, had said the most disturbing aspect of the amendment to the Liberal gun bill was that it would ban almost all semi-automatic centrefire rifles and shotguns used by ranchers and hunters. Bill C-21 will proceed with enacting a handgun sales ban and domestic abusers would still have a firearms license automatically revoked.