Article content continued

Trudeau has so far refused to say if his Liberal Party would impose such a ban. But he vowed he would have more to say about gun control later in the campaign.

In a radio interview on Monday, Trudeau accused the Conservative Party, his main opponent, of being “in the pocket of the gun lobby.”

Conservative Party spokesman Simon Jefferies, in statement on Monday, said party leader Andrew Scheer and the party itself would always defend responsible, law-abiding firearm owners.

“We believe that we must take a thoughtful, serious approach to this issue and pursue measures that actually reduce crime,” he said.

Last year, Scheer promised to put more police officers on the streets, crack down on gangs, and develop tougher background checks for new gun owners and better information-sharing to track guns used in crimes.

Trudeau’s remarks came at the start of what is expected to be a full week of campaign announcements by all five national political parties in an election where polls show the Liberals face a tight re-election battle.

Trudeau, who first came to power in 2015, also promised in his comments that he would create up to 250,000 more spaces for before- and after-school childcare while reducing parents’ fees by 10% if he wins.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, the Conservatives, who plan to focus their campaign on the economy and affordability, promised Canadians a “universal” tax cut. The tax rate for those with an annual income under C$47,630 ($35,958) would be progressively reduced to 13.75% from 15%.