Assault-style firearms buyback
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to order a full PBO audit and reassess the assault-style firearms buyback's impact on lawful licensed owners. The government responds it is implementing the ASFCP and will report results.
Why we would sign this petition
- An independent PBO audit would provide taxpayers a transparent expert review of the buyback’s costs and compensation estimates, helping ensure funds are used efficiently.
- Reassessing the program could identify design flaws and improve targeting to focus on illegal firearms rather than law‑abiding licensed owners.
- A formal evaluation would document impacts on licensed owners and help ensure fair treatment and appropriate mitigation for compliant firearms holders.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Ordering an audit or pausing the program may delay removal of prohibited assault‑style firearms, potentially prolonging public safety risks the program aims to reduce.
- The government has set up program funding, declarations and reporting, so another audit could duplicate oversight and slow delivery of removals and compensation.
- A cost-focused audit could be expensive or politicized, diverting resources from enforcement, prevention and measures targeting illegal firearms trafficking.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA WHEREAS • The Liberal government has announced a gun buyback program that will only cost the Canadian Taxpayer; • Since May of 2020 the Liberal government has spent $67 million in administrative costs with zero confiscated firearms; • Experts and officials have serious doubts to the effectiveness of this program as it fails to focus on the real issues of illegal firearms; • The PBO estimates that just compensating firearm owners will cost an excess of $750 million; • It unfairly targets law abiding, responsible, and licenced gun owners; THEREFORE, We, the undersigned citizens and permanent residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to reconsider the effectiveness, conduct a full and transparent audit by the PBO, and understand the real effect this program has on lawful, licensed and responsible gun owners.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Public Safety Signed by JACQUES RAMSAY, PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY The Government of Canada is taking action through its comprehensive approach to address firearms violence and combat crime. This approach includes removing assault-style firearms from Canadian communities, investing in border security and law enforcement capacity to reduce firearms smuggling and trafficking, addressing firearms violence, including in situations of intimate partner and family violence, and supporting intervention and prevention programs addressing gun and gang violence. Since May 2020, over 2,500 makes and models of assault-style firearms have been prohibited. These prohibited assault-style firearms can no longer be legally possessed, sold in, or imported into Canada and can only be transferred or transported under limited circumstances. These firearms with semi-automatic action and sustained rapid-fire capability are not suitable for hunting or sport shooting and exceed safe civilian use. The Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program (ASFCP) provides an opportunity for individual firearm owners and businesses to seek compensation while coming into compliance with the law. While participation to obtain compensation through the program is voluntary, compliance with the law is not. All owners who do not participate in the program must dispose of or permanently deactivate their prohibited firearms and devices before the amnesty period ends on October 30, 2026. The Government is committed to this program being as cost-effective and efficient as possible, while promoting public safety by removing these dangerous firearms from communities. The Program’s overall funding envelope is $742.5 million (including approximately $248.6 million for compensation to individuals and businesses). To ensure responsible use of taxpayer funds, the Government of Canada will limit costs on firearms compensation and declaration will be processed primarily on a first come first served basis. The ASFCP for individuals opened with a declaration period on January 19, 2026 and will run until March 31, 2026. Following the declaration period, eligible participants will be able to schedule an appointment through the ASFCP for collection by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), police of jurisdiction or a mobile collection unit to turn in their prohibited firearms for validation and destruction. As of February 20, 2026, over 32,000 prohibited firearms have been declared. Starting in December 2024, over 12,000 prohibited firearms were successfully collected from businesses, before the program closed on April 30, 2025. More than $22 million in compensation has been provided to businesses from across the country. In short order, the program will re-open to eligible businesses, allowing them to submit a claim for firearms and devices prohibited in May 2020, December 2024 or March 2025 and select associated parts and components. Results of the ASFCP for individuals and businesses will be reported at the Program’s conclusion.