Alberta won’t participate in federal gun confiscation program

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EDMONTON — The Alberta government will not help enforce federal laws to confiscate nearly 30,000 legally purchased but now banned firearms, and also allows the state’s RCMP to participate in the effort. says not.

In a Sept. 26 announcement, Alberta Justice Minister Tyler Chandolo urged Federal Public Safety Minister Marco Medicino to provide resources to the province to help collect banned firearms this fall. However, he said his state denied this request for help and sent a notice to the Alberta RCMP.

“Alberta is said to be using the RCMP to confiscate firearms, similar to the 2013 floods when the RCMP seized more than 600 firearms in the infamous High River shooting,” Shandro said. said. “Today’s actions are aimed at preventing history from repeating itself. Further options are being considered and all options are under consideration.”

In May 2020, the federal government announced it would ban more than 1,500 models of “assault-style” firearms, including the AR-15. Owners of these guns will be given a two-year pardon period to comply with the ban, he said at the time. has been extended to October 2023.

Shandro says Ottawa’s move to label firearms as “assault” weapons is a label “designed to scare Canadians unfamiliar with firearms.”

Ottawa says a targeted weapons ban is necessary to combat violent crime involving firearms.

“People are dying, families are grieving and communities are suffering because of gun violence. It must end.” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Said The bill will be released in May 2020.

“Assault firearms designed for military use do not exist in Canada. Removing them from the streets will limit the devastating effects of gun-related violence and make our country safer.” It helps to

Shandro said he wrote to the RCMP that the forfeiture program was not a priority for the state and therefore deploying the RCMP to support the program was not appropriate.

Alberta taxpayers pay over $750 million annually to fund the RCMP as a state police service.

The state will also formally challenge any attempt by the federal government to use the RCMP as a forfeiture agent by invoking the dispute resolution clause in Article 23 of the State Police Service Agreement, Shandro said. said Mr.

Teri Bryant, Alberta’s chief firearms officer, said the firearms confiscation program is another “misguided step” in the federal government’s effort to combat the criminal misuse of firearms.

“It is hard to believe that law-abiding Canadian firearms owners would support these failed efforts and trust the federal government’s ability to safely and effectively seize so much personal property. I don’t think so,” Bryant said.

The Alberta government also plans to intervene in six pending judicial review applications that challenge the constitutionality of the federal firearms ban, Shandro said.

“As an intervenor, based on the specific challenges that federal law has posed to Alberta’s law-abiding firearms community and on the advanced legal arguments that the federal government has gone too far in its plans to ban 1,500 models of firearms, the tribunal I can provide a discussion in ,” he said.

Rachel Emmanuel

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Rachel Emmanuel is in charge of federal and Alberta politics.

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