End firearms buyback program

AI summary

Petitioners ask the Government to end the firearms buyback and confiscation program and prioritize bail reform so dangerous repeat offenders are jailed, not released. The government responds it removes prohibited firearms via compensation and pursues bail changes.

AI summaries describe petitioners’ requests and claims. Consult the official record for the full text.

Official petition

Petition to the Government of Canada Whereas: Gun crime has skyrocketed 130 per cent since 2015; The Liberal gun confiscation program targets law abiding, responsible and licenced gun owners while doing nothing to address gun smuggling and gang crime; The program diverts resources away from measures that would actually reduce violent crime; The Liberal government's gun confiscation program will cost Canadian taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars; The Public Safety Minister has admitted the program is a waste of money that will do nothing to keep Canadians safe. We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, call on the Government of Canada to: Immediately end the gun buyback and confiscation program and prioritize public safety with real changes such as bail reform, ensuring that dangerous and repeat criminals get jail and not bail.

Government response

Response by the Minister of Public Safety Signed by JACQUES RAMSAY, PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program (ASFCP) 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 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 was voluntary, compliance with the law is not. Individuals who did not declare their prohibited firearms during the declaration period must dispose of or permanently deactivate them 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). The ASFCP for individuals opened with a declaration period that began on January 19, 2026 and ran until March 31, 2026. As of April 1, 2026, more than 67,000 assault-style firearms were declared by 37,869 firearms owners across Canada. The program will communicate directly with participants to give instructions on how to finalize their claims and then permanently deactivate or make an appointment to turn in their firearms for compensation. Collection and compensation processes are expected to run from spring through early fall 2026 in various parts of the country. Collection will be undertaken by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, local police or secured mobile collection units. The Program for businesses reopened on April 23, 2026. This is the second phase of the ASFCP for businesses. Between November 2024 and April 2025, the initial phase of the program ran successfully for firearms prohibited in May 2020 only. Over 12,000 firearms were destroyed and firearms businesses across Canada received over $22 million in compensation during that initial phase. The new phase allows claims for firearms and devices prohibited in May 2020, December 2024, and March 2025 and selected associated parts and components. Results of the ASFCP for individuals and businesses will be reported at the Program’s conclusion. Bail Reform The Government is committed to strengthening Canada’s justice system and building safer communities through numerous legislative and non-legislative measures, of which the ASFCP is but one element. The introduction of Bill C-14, the Bail and Sentencing Reform Act, and most recently, Bill C-16, the Protecting Victims Act, are two examples of recent progress. Both pieces of legislation make important changes to the criminal justice system, including enhancing Canada’s bail system, addressing court delays, strengthening victims’ rights, and ensuring that sentences can better reflect the seriousness of violent and repeat offending. With respect to bail in particular, C-14 would create new reverse onus provisions for some of the most serious cases, would require courts to consider specific factors, including if the allegations involved random or unprovoked violence and if the accused has any outstanding charges, and to set stricter conditions, including weapons bans. While these legislative changes aim to ensure that the severity of certain crimes, and their frequency, are meaningfully reflected in bail and sentencing decisions, efforts must also include initiatives which strengthen the prevention, investigation, and enforcement of these same crimes and address patterns of repeat offending. The Government continues to complement these legislative changes by exploring non-legislative measures to enhance the bail system and advance broader public safety objectives. These measures include efforts to prevent crime, to address its underlying causes, and to ensure that rehabilitation and community supervision are effective and safe, such as funding renewal for the Building Safer Communities Fund.