New Brunswick Joins Prairie Provinces In Opposing Federal Firearms Confiscation Plan

Provincial opposition to the federal government's impending firearms confiscation continues to grow, with New Brunswick now on board with Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, as well as Yukon Territory.

The current firearms confiscation plan follows an Order in Council from May, 2020, which banned many hunting, tactical and target firearms. Current estimates say 100,000 firearms are affected by the ban, which sees the federal government offering a cash payment for owners to surrender their firearms, in a process that's been filled with confusion and cost overruns so far.

New Brunswick's statement followed the 2022 meeting of federal, provincial and territorial government ministers responsible for justice or public safety. In New Brunswick's case, its message echoed that of the prairie provinces. Leaders do not want existing law enforcement resources used to seize legally-acquired firearms from law-abiding gun owners.

Public Safety minister Kris Austin says the province is already short on crimefighting funds, and sending out police officers to take firearms will make it worse.

“New Brunswick’s bottom line is this: RCMP resources are spread thin as it is,” Austin said in the province's press release. “We have made it clear to the Government of Canada that we cannot condone any use of those limited resources, at all, in their planned buyback program."

The New Brunswick government press release included statements from provincial ministers from Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, but nothing from the Yukon. However, on October 13, Yukon's legislative assembly approved an opposition motion opposing the use of RCMP resources to enforce Ottawa's firearms seizures. A combined vote of the Yukon Party and NDP passed that motion, with all Liberal members of government opposing.

New Brunswick's release said the provinces opposing the federal confiscation plan also want "to ensure that no funding for the Guns and Gang Violence Action Fund or other public safety initiatives be diverted to the federal firearms confiscation program." Instead, they want to see that funding used to tighten up the national border against gun trafficking and other crime.

See quotes from provincial politicians from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba below:

Alberta Justice Minister and Solicitor General Tyler Shandro: “Two years ago, the federal government said that using police resources would be ‘expensive and inefficient ... Make no mistake, the federal firearms confiscation program will cost us billions and will not improve public safety. Alberta’s government is not legally obligated to provide resources and will not do so.”

Saskatchewan Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Christine Tell, Justice and Attorney General for Saskatchewan Bronwyn Eyre: “While we fully support crime initiatives that focus on the issues related to the criminal use of illegal firearms, preventing and combatting gang violence and addressing the issue of illegal or smuggled guns in our province, we don’t support those that impact law-abiding hunters, sport shooters, ranchers, farmers and Indigenous people who use firearms for lawful and good reasons."

Manitoba Justice Minister and Attorney General Kelvin Goertzen: “Manitoba has consistently stated that many aspects of the federal approach to gun crimes unnecessarily target lawful gun owners while having little impact on criminals, who are unlikely to follow gun regulations in any event ... any buy-back program cannot further erode our scarce provincial police resources, already suffering from large vacancy rates, and away from focusing on investigation of violent crimes.”