OPPORTUNISTIC POLITICIANS EXPLOITING LOW-INFO VOTERS

   In my 15 years or so of writing about firearms policy, here’s been a constant problem: gun policy is complicated, the broader public doesn't know much about it, and it's hard (impossible?) to make any coherent arguments without laying out the context, both of the specific proposals and the broader background. Working through what was announced yesterday, and how this clarifies a worrying shift in how the Liberals approach gun control, is going to be a bit of a process.

   The Liberals are making a series of announcements that won't actually change, at all, how safe Canadians are from gun violence. The announcements do get a lot of attention, though. Because, clearly, getting the attention is itself the goal. The public-safety talking points are just the PR frosting on top of what is an entirely political exercise. Why else make the announcement before you give the press the technical briefings? The sequence tells you all you need to know.