The Canadian government's gun buyback program, currently being piloted in Nova Scotia, is set to expand nationwide later this fall. However, critics are questioning its effectiveness and cost. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree recently acknowledged in a private conversation that he struggles to understand the program's logic. The initiative aims to confiscate approximately 180,000 firearms that have been deemed illegal over the past five years.

The Liberal government has focused on banning what they refer to as "assault-style" weapons since the mass shooting in Nova Scotia in 2020. This effort has included pressuring law enforcement to release sensitive information to support their political agenda. Notably, the shooter in that incident had acquired his weapons illegally. Since then, the government has banned around 1,500 firearms in 2020 and added more to the list in subsequent years, totaling 2,500.

Law enforcement agencies across Canada have indicated that most gun crimes are committed with weapons smuggled from the United States. Myron Demkiw, the former deputy chief of the Toronto Police Service, testified in 2022 that 86 percent of guns used in crimes in Toronto were illegally imported. A recent report from Statistics Canada revealed that in 2023, 91 percent of individuals involved in solved firearm-related homicides did not possess a valid gun license.

Anandasangaree also mentioned that his tenant, who refuses to surrender his legally purchased firearm, is unlikely to face arrest. He stated, "I just don’t think municipal police services have the resources to do this." The Ontario Provincial Police have already announced they will not participate in the $750 million gun confiscation program. A survey of 60 municipal police forces indicated that many do not plan to enforce the new regulations.

A spokesperson for Ontario's solicitor general confirmed that local police do not have the resources to confiscate firearms from lawful owners. Mark Campbell, president of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, emphasized that legally owned long guns are not a priority in addressing firearm-related crime.

Opposition to the government's approach is particularly strong in Western Canada. The Saskatchewan government previously enacted legislation requiring the RCMP and others involved in the confiscation program to obtain a provincial license. Recently, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith stated she would not permit police in her province to confiscate previously legal firearms and directed her ministers to advocate for Albertans' rights to lawful firearm possession and self-defense.

Given that government statistics indicate legal gun owners are not a significant source of crime, and police forces express a lack of resources to enforce the buyback program, questions remain about the rationale behind Anandasangaree's commitment to the initiative. In the leaked recording, he noted that had he been involved from the beginning, he would have taken a different approach, admitting, "This is the mandate I was given by (Prime Minister)." The future of the program remains uncertain as it faces mounting criticism.