Liberals say more than 22,000 government-banned guns declared in first week of 'buyback' launch

OTTAWA — The federal Liberal government says gun owners have so far declared their willingness to turn over more than 22,000 firearms in exchange for money under its newly launched compensation program. 

The figure, released by Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree’s office, comes one week after the controversial “buyback” program opened for declarations, targeting the more than 2,500 makes and models of firearms the Liberals have banned since 2020.

Simon LaFortune, a spokesman for the minister, confirmed that as of Monday afternoon it had received declarations for 22,251 of these weapons. The minister also took to social media to thank firearms owners who had registered.

Gun owners have until the end of March to declare their willingness to participate in the program.

After that, the federal government has given them until the end of October when an amnesty period shielding them from liability is set to expire to get rid their banned guns either by turning them over to police or having them deactivated.

Anandasangaree has warned impacted gun owners to heed the upcoming deadlines and for those willing to take part in its compensation program to submit their declarations early to increase their chances of receiving compensation, which he said would be doled out on “ a first-come, first-serve basis.”

That has led to increased concerns from firearms groups which oppose the policy that eligible gun owners may not receive adequate compensation for their property.

Federal public safety officials say the government intends to rollout the actual collection of these firearms by working with local police, RCMP and deploying mobile collection units.

So far, it has struck agreements with police in Winnipeg, Cape Breton, N.S. and Halifax to help, same with the Quebec government which has pledged to assist with the coordination of collection efforts, inking a $12-million agreement with the federal government to do so.

Other police services, namely those around the Greater Toronto Area, have rejected taking part.

On Monday, the Durham Regional Police was the latest to release a statement from its police chief indicating it would not help “at this time.”

“Significant gaps remain within the program, including insufficient operational clarity and resources to support safe and effective implementation,” reads a statement from Durham police chief Peter Moreira.

The head of the New Brunswick police chiefs association also signalled that police lack the resources to take part, with Saint John Police Chief Robert Bruce downplaying the role police may play when it comes to targeting banned guns that may not be turned over.

“We’re not going looking for you,” he told the Telegraph-Journal newspaper. 

In a statement released on Monday, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police underscored how a lack of consensus exists among provinces about the initiative, with some police leaders expressing concerns around capacity.

“Police leaders continue to emphasize that while the (program) may help reduce the availability of domestically sourced prohibited firearms, the program may not align with current policing priorities, including the illegal importation, trafficking, smuggling and criminal use of firearms,” it reads.

“For this reason, police services remain focused on disrupting criminal networks and preventing crime by deploying limited resources where they will have the greatest and most immediate impact on public safety.”

The Opposition Conservatives, which have long opposed the government’s prohibition of these firearms, released a statement suggesting the Liberals were “claiming victory” after having received declarations from only a tiny percentage of firearms owners.

The federal public safety department last week sent a notice out to all possession and acquisition license holders.

“The Liberals’ massively expensive gun confiscation program is a masterclass in total chaos and mismanagement, an unserious program by an unserious government that is designed to fail,” said Blaine Calkins, an Alberta MP who serves as a the party’s critic on hunting, fishing and conservation. 

National Post

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