Taxpayer Group Demands End to Federal Gun Buyback Program

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is urging the federal government to cancel its gun buyback program, arguing the initiative costs taxpayers excessively while failing to deliver meaningful results. The call comes after a Cape Breton pilot project collected only 25 firearms out of an expected 200, raising questions about the program's viability and escalating expenses.

Transparency Concerns Over Program Costs

Gage Haubrich, CTF Prairie Director, criticized the lack of transparency surrounding the program's financial burden on taxpayers. "Part of the problem with that is that it's not exactly clear how much taxpayers have been in the hole for this program," Haubrich stated.

The government has allocated approximately $742 million to implement the gun ban and confiscation program. However, this figure represents a significant increase from the original $200 million estimate announced by the Liberals in 2019.

Independent experts have projected total costs could reach as high as $6 billion, according to Haubrich. This dramatic discrepancy between official budgets and expert estimates has fueled concerns about fiscal accountability.

Effectiveness Questioned by Multiple Sources

The CTF maintains the program will not improve public safety in Canada. "It's completely clear that this program will do nothing to make Canadians safer," Haubrich said.

He emphasized that this assessment is shared by police officers and academics, not just taxpayer advocacy groups. "Licenced firearm owners aren't the people committing crimes with these guns," Haubrich explained, suggesting resources would be better allocated to combating illegal gun smuggling from the southern border.

Cape Breton Pilot Reveals High Per-Gun Costs

The Cape Breton pilot project has become a focal point for critics analyzing program efficiency. The federal government provided approximately $150,000 for the regional initiative, which collected 25 firearms.

This translates to more than $5,000 per gun collected, according to CTF calculations. "So if we take that, and we look across the country, it's clear that it's going to be a huge boondoggle for taxpayers," Haubrich warned.

Key Details

• Pilot Project Location: Cape Breton
• Firearms Collected: 25 out of 200 expected
• Pilot Project Funding: Approximately $150,000
• Cost Per Gun (Pilot): More than $5,000
• National Budget (Official): $742 million
• Original Estimate (2019): $200 million
• Independent Expert Projection: Up to $6 billion total cost

Call for Policy Reversal

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is demanding the government acknowledge what it characterizes as the program's failure. The organization believes officials should redirect funding toward initiatives targeting illegal firearms trafficking, where criminal activity with guns predominantly occurs.

The CTF argues that licensed firearm owners should not be the focus of enforcement efforts, as they are not the primary source of gun crimes in Canada.