Kootenay-Columbia MP Rob Morrison continued to address the federal Liberal’s gun ban during his recent trip to Parliament, looking for answers on how exactly the government will enact their buyback program and how the gun ban will be implemented.
On May 1, 2020, the federal Liberal banned over 1,500 models and variants of “assault” and “assault-style” firearms. The immediate ban meant the guns could no longer be used, sold, imported, or transported. A two-year amnesty period was implemented for owners, as the government continues to craft its plan for a buyback program.
Across the country, anti-gun advocates have called for a mandatory buyback program, but the federal government has not made any commitment as to what the program may or may not look like.
Morrison questioned exactly what Bill Blair was going to do. Morrison said the Public Safety Minister didn’t provide a response to the issue.
“They’re buying back guns from legal gun owners who have legal guns,” said the Kootenay-Columbia MP. “The buyback program, in some cases, there’s people who have specialty guns for shooting that are $20,000, for example.”
Morrison claimed the average price of buying back the more than 1,500 models and variants could be in excess of $1-billion or more.
“My question to the Minister was basically, wouldn’t that billion dollars be better spent working on organized crime and gangs, seizing illegal guns from people that have them illegally rather than targeting legal gun owners who have legal guns?”
Although the Liberals were banning “assault” and “assault-style” firearms, Canada currently only has three categories of guns in Canada. A gun either falls under the non-restricted, restricted, or prohibited category. Most of the new guns banned are moving from non-restricted and restricted to the prohibited category as a result.
MORE: Canadian List of Prohibited “Assault-Style” Firearms (Federal Government)
“It just seems like they are taking the easier road by taking some guns away from people who store them properly, store the ammunition properly,” said Morrison. “A lot of us, we teach our children how to shoot, and safely, and we don’t horse around with any of these guns. We’re really considerate, we know what they do and we hunt or we shoot and so it’s really frustrating.”
At this time, no legislation has come forward about a buyback program or what that may entail.
Previously, Blair and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had said the legislation would be introduced on a proposed buyback program after immediate concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic were erased.
BELOW: Kootenay-Columbia MP Rob Morrison previously addressing Bill Blair on the gun ban in May.
