Gun buyback: Minister calls Alberta resistance a ‘political stunt’


Federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino calls Alberta Justice Minister and Solicitor General Tyler Shandro’s plan to order the RCMP not to enforce gun confiscations “reckless” prohibited fire, and assimilates it to “a political coup” which will not last.

On September 26, Shandro made headlines when he announced that he had advised the head of the RCMP in Alberta not to remove officers from the streets for this purpose, citing a dispute clause in the agreement. on provincial police departments – claiming that the “forfeiture program” was not a priority.

In a CTV Question Period interview that aired Sunday, Mendicino spoke clearly when asked about Shandro’s comments.

“He’s wrong about all of that, and let’s go back. Assault rifles were designed for one purpose, and one purpose. And that is to kill people, and they did that in Canada “, Mendicino said. “It’s a political stunt. He knows full well that gun regulatory powers are squarely within the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal government.”

In May 2020, the federal government banned the purchase, sale, transport, import or use of 1,500 models and variants of assault firearms in Canada.

This summer, the Liberals unveiled how much they plan to pay gun owners for banned firearms they surrender under the mandatory buy-back program, though final compensation amounts or confiscation plans have yet to be announced.

The Liberals have already implemented an amnesty period until October 20, 2023 allowing lawful owners of these prohibited firearms to be protected from criminal liability while they take the necessary steps to comply.

Mendicino said it was “reckless” for Shandro “to insinuate that the RCMP will not enforce federal law” because he does not speak on behalf of the RCMP, and it is up to the police to determine how violations must be dealt with.

“Federal law enforcement, whether it relates to firearms or any Criminal Code offence, is not an à la carte menu. You can’t walk away and tell the RCMP what laws they’re going to enforce. enforce or not, it actually compromises public safety,” Mendicino said.

Alberta has also indicated its intention to intervene in pending judicial review applications challenging the constitutionality of federal gun bans. Speaking on this, the Liberal Minister of Public Safety pointed to a decades-old landmark question that Alberta brought to the Supreme Court of Canada that reaffirmed the authority of Parliament.