Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree has mentioned that the government is not yet prepared to reveal details about the extension of the gun amnesty program, with the current extension set to expire in six weeks. Anandasangaree made this statement while heading into the Liberal caucus meeting in Ottawa on Wednesday.
Following a tragic mass shooting incident in Nova Scotia, former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau imposed a ban on over 1,500 models and variations of “assault-style firearms.” The initial list of banned models, announced on May 1, 2020, has now been expanded to about 2,500.
Initially, a two-year amnesty was granted for owners of firearms like the AR-15 to surrender their weapons by April 30, 2022. Subsequently, this amnesty period was extended by one year in 2022 and then by another two years in 2023.
Anandasangaree indicated in August that the upcoming expiration of the current extension on Oct. 30 would need to be postponed. The government had pledged to compensate firearm owners through a buyback program, projected to cost over $750 million by the Parliamentary Budget Office in 2021.
While the buyback program for individual owners is yet to commence, the federal government has mentioned that it is anticipated to start later in 2025. However, the program for businesses is still operational. As of April 30, Canadian businesses have submitted 12,195 compensation claims for prohibited firearms.
During the recent federal election, Prime Minister Mark Carney promised that a Liberal government would revitalize the assault-style firearm buyback program if elected. Apart from enhancing the amnesty and buyback program, the Liberal election commitment aimed at combating crimes included several additional policies, such as automatically revoking gun licenses for individuals convicted of violent offenses, strengthening oversight on firearms licensing and enforcement, and boosting funding for RCMP’s forensic laboratories to aid in tracking down firearms used in criminal activities.
Carney emphasized that being tough on crime necessitates being tough on guns, emphasizing the seriousness of addressing intimate partner violence through gun control measures. He assured that while implementing these changes, the rights of hunters and Indigenous communities to use firearms for sport and tradition would be respected.
