OTTAWA — A social media account supporting Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow has attacked mayoral rival Brad Bradford over his endorsement from Conservative MP Scott Aitchison, accusing the outgoing parliamentarian of supporting more handguns on city streets.The attack drew a sharp response from Conservative public safety critic Frank Caputo, who accused the account of misrepresenting Aitchison's voting record and his position on gun crime.The account, Team with Chow News and Alerts, circulated a graphic showing Bradford alongside Aitchison, accompanied by a parliamentary voting record indicating the Conservative MP voted against Bill C-21, the federal government's firearms legislation.“Why would Bradford accept the endorsement of someone who thinks it’s okay to have more hand guns on our streets?” the graphic reads.The accompanying post accused Bradford of standing by the endorsement of a Conservative MP who “wants to keep handguns legal on our streets.”The account's claims refer to Aitchison's opposition to Bill C-21, but voting against the legislation does not, on its own, establish support for allowing more illegal handguns on Toronto streets.Caputo, a former Crown prosecutor, defended his Conservative colleague while declining to take a position in Toronto's mayoral election.“I am the Conservative Public Safety Critic and a former prosecutor who prosecuted a lot of gun crimes,” Caputo wrote.“I won’t get involved in the race. But I will defend @ScottAAitchison. This is a complete mischaracterization of the bill and who he is.”.Caputo argued that Aitchison's voting record reflected support for tougher penalties against people carrying illegal firearms.“It also doesn’t reflect that his votes have been to keep the guns OFF our streets and punish those who carry them accordingly,” he wrote.“The same Liberals who tabled this bill earlier allowed people caught with handguns on our streets to serve their sentences on house arrest. Shame on you.”Bill C-21, passed by Parliament in 2023, introduced a range of firearms restrictions, including measures associated with the national handgun freeze, as well as changes to firearms offences and penalties. Opposition to the legislation does not necessarily indicate opposition to every provision.The firearms dispute follows an earlier challenge to Aitchison's endorsement from Progress Toronto, an advocacy organization supporting progressive municipal politics.In a Sept. 10 statement, Progress Toronto pointed to Aitchison's opposition to the handgun freeze and comments he made opposing handgun bans.“I’m not in favor of actually banning handguns,” Aitchison said in the earlier remarks cited by the organization. “I’m offended by politicians who throw a handgun ban out as a solution to real problems.”Aitchison announced last week that he intends to resign from Parliament at the conclusion of the fall sitting, ending a federal political career that began with his election in 2019.Bradford has also secured endorsements from several Liberal MPs, including Ali Ehsassi, Vince Gasparro and Leslie Church, despite the criticism directed at his Conservative support.The controversy follows two consecutive mayoral debates, during which Chow and Bradford clashed over public safety, housing, municipal spending and taxes.Alexander withdrew from the mayoral contest Tuesday, citing polling that showed no clear path to victory, he declined to endorse anyone. Toronto voters will elect their next mayor on Oct. 26.
