OTTAWA — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has instructed her top public safety officials to focus on protecting gun owners and individuals who act in self-defense from federal regulations. Updated mandate letters sent to Alberta Justice Minister Mickey Amery and Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis on Thursday included identical directives to "relentlessly defend Albertans’ right to lawful and safe possession of firearms and right to self-defense."

This new directive comes as the federal government launches a pilot program for its assault-style gun buy-back initiative, which Alberta has stated it will not support. Amery remarked that the timing of Smith's directive is not coincidental. "We’ve been unequivocally clear that this program is ill-conceived and misguided, and it is so because it unfairly targets law abiding gun owners," he said.

The federal government announced on Tuesday that it would begin a six-week test run of the buy-back program in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, with a full rollout expected later this fall. In late 2022, Alberta’s justice ministry issued guidelines instructing Crown lawyers not to pursue charges against law-abiding Albertans for possessing federally prohibited firearms. Amery indicated he is exploring additional legal measures to protect Albertans from the federal gun ban. "I will absolutely be looking at the 2022 guideline to ensure it reflects the current environment that we’re dealing with," he stated.

Canadians could face criminal charges for possessing any of the more than 2,500 firearms classified as "assault-style" when the amnesty period ends in October 2026. Amery noted that recent news stories about homeowners defending themselves against intruders have brought the issue of self-defense to the forefront. "My sympathies lie with law-abiding Albertans, and less so with the criminals who are committing these crimes," he said.

Smith has been vocal about her stance on self-defense, particularly in response to a recent incident in Lindsay, Ontario, where a man was charged for defending himself against an intruder armed with a crossbow. "Well, if you don’t want to get shot or beaten up, don’t break into people’s houses," Smith commented.

Amery is also considering proposing new prosecuting guidelines to reinforce the position that homeowners have the right to defend themselves and their families during a break-in without fear of criminal prosecution. Additionally, Ellis announced that Alberta will prohibit Canada Post and private couriers from transporting seized firearms within the province. "I can tell you, as a former police officer, it sounds like an absolutely horrible idea to have mail trucks ferrying around live firearms," Ellis said.

In a joint statement, Amery and Ellis criticized the credibility of the gun buy-back program, citing leaked remarks from Federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree that expressed doubt about the program's effectiveness. "(L)eaked audio … shows the (public safety) minister himself is doubtful this policy will be effective or enforced … Further, (he) has made it very clear that they are only keeping this program to satisfy Liberal voters in Quebec," the statement read.

The two ministers have called on the federal government to cancel the $742 million compensation program and redirect those funds to combat illegal firearms. The updated mandate letters to Amery and Ellis were part of four letters sent by Smith to her cabinet officials on Thursday.