Ottawa has no idea if its gun grab will make Canadians safer

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on the federal government to scrap its gun and confiscation scheme after an access-to-information request filed by the CTF revealed that Public Safety Canada has no data on the confiscation’s effect on crime or public safety.

“If the government can’t show taxpayers this program will work, then taxpayers shouldn’t be paying for it,” said Gage Haubrich, CTF Prairie Director. “Ottawa needs to listen to police officers who say the gun ban and confiscation won’t work.”

The CTF asked Public Safety for “all analysis from the department on the efficacy of the assault style firearms compensation program and its effect on crime rates/public safety.”

The department advised that “no information related to your request exists within Public Safety Canada.”

The federal government maintains that the confiscation program is intended to make Canadians safer. Since the guns were initially banned in 2020, meaning that it’s illegal to use them, violent firearm crimes rates have increased.

Law-enforcement experts have been saying for years that Ottawa’s program won’t work.

“We know that the gun buyback program is going to have, essentially, zero impact on the crime in Toronto,” said Clayton Campbell, the president of the Toronto Police Association.

Dozens of police forces across the country have also declined to participate in the program.

All provincial governments, except for British Columbia and Quebec, have also declined to participate, citing serious doubts about the program’s effectiveness.

The government has committed at least $742 million to carry out its gun ban and confiscation scheme, according to Budget 2025. Other experts estimate the total cost to taxpayers could reach $6 billion.

“Law enforcement experts say the gun grab will do nothing to make Canada safer,” said Haubrich. “The government doesn’t have any evidence otherwise. Ottawa needs to listen to the experts and scrap this gun ban and confiscation scheme.”

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For more information & interviews, call:

Gage Haubrich
CTF Prairie Director
Phone: 306.750.8757
Email: ghaubrich@taxpayer.com
X (Twitter): @haubrich_g