Alberta's Justice Minister Mickey Amery has taken a stand against a federal gun buyback program, signaling that the province will not enforce it. This move echoes a historical pattern of provincial resistance to federal firearm regulations in Canada. In the early 2000s, several provinces, including Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan, opposed the federal long-gun registry, which was introduced in the 1990s. Initially presented as a safety measure, the registry imposed new regulations on shotgun and rifle owners without demonstrably improving public safety. The program's costs ballooned from an estimated $2 million to $1 billion by 2003, prompting significant pushback from provincial leaders.

Justice ministers from multiple provinces instructed their law enforcement agencies not to enforce the long-gun registry. In 2003, Nova Scotia's then-Justice Minister Jamie Muir stated, "It’s their law, let them enforce it," while New Brunswick's Premier Bernard Lord criticized the program as a waste of taxpayer dollars. Despite the Supreme Court of Canada ruling that gun control was a federal matter, provincial non-compliance sent a strong message to the federal government.

The long-gun registry ultimately failed to achieve its goals. Many gun owners chose not to register their firearms, and by 2006, the federal government, under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, ceased enforcement of the program. The registry was officially abolished in 2012.

Currently, a similar situation is unfolding with the federal government's recent initiative to ban certain firearms, labeled as "assault-style." Critics argue that this push is not based on crime statistics, which indicate that most gun crimes involve illegal firearms. The projected cost of this new program has escalated to approximately $1.8 billion, far exceeding initial estimates.

In response, Alberta's government is once again resisting federal mandates. Amery has invoked the provincial Sovereignty Act to direct local entities, including police and municipalities, not to participate in the buyback program. This approach mirrors the tactics used in the early 2000s, although some provinces, like Nova Scotia, have opted to cooperate with the federal government.

While Alberta's refusal to engage with the buyback program is significant, it leaves local gun owners vulnerable. Advocates suggest that Alberta should follow Saskatchewan's lead and implement measures to hold entities accountable for any gun seizures, potentially including personal liability for individuals involved in the enforcement.

As the federal government continues to push for stricter gun control, Alberta's actions reflect a broader tradition of provincial resistance to federal firearm regulations in Canada. The ongoing debate highlights the complexities of jurisdiction and the challenges faced by both provincial and federal authorities in addressing gun ownership and public safety.