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OTTAWA — As a new firearms bill makes its way through Parliament, critics on all sides are accusing the Liberals of not going far enough to crack down on gang violence or mass shootings.

Conservative MPs in particular argue the Liberals are instead wasting their time imposing new burdens on licensed gun owners.

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The House of Commons public safety committee began its study of Bill C-71 on Tuesday, and will hear from a variety of experts and advocates over the coming weeks.

One group has already made their voice known, as survivors of the 2017 Quebec City mosque shooting that killed six people demanded a ban on assault weapons in a letter publicized this week.

Asked about it Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pointed out that the bill does give RCMP the final say on classifying specific guns as restricted or prohibited (meaning they must be registered and can only be kept under strict conditions). The previous Conservative government had empowered cabinet to overturn such decisions.