Canada's Pierre Trudeau considered carrying a gun for protection

Pierre Trudeau was the head of the Liberal Party for many years and set Canada on the left wing course it continues on today. It is interesting though that the gun control regulations that he believed should be applied to everyone else he thought possibly shouldn't apply to him. From the newspaper "The Daily News" (Halifax, Canada)

The Daily News (Halifax)
DATE: 2005.03.20
SECTION: Your Books
PAGE: 13
BYLINE:
SOURCE: CanWest

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Trudeau considered carrying a gun: book

Pierre Trudeau was so worried about his safety following his retirement from politics that he contemplated carrying a pistol. This anecdote from Robert Simmonds, who was head of the RCMP from 1977-1987, is one of scores found in Pierre. In a first-person account, Simmonds said he met Trudeau on a Montreal street sometime after the flamboyant former Liberal leader left the political scene in 1984.

"At the time, he had some concerns regarding his personal security and the security of his Montreal home and we talked about that," Simmonds writes. "He thought that, perhaps, it would be wise for him to carry a pistol.

"I (naturally) advised against such an approach and suggested that he leave all that to the (RCMP) force, which retains responsibility for the security of a retired prime minister as long as there is an actual or perceived threat."

"I believe that he accepted my assessment of the situation ... However, his suggested approach served as one more example of his long streak of independence and desire to take care of himself, no matter the circumstances."