Watchdog group urges Queen's Park to legislate opposition to gun grab
· Toronto Sun
OTTAWA — While Ontario has stated its refusal to take part in the federal Liberals’ gun grab, Canada’s taxpayer watchdog wants the province to join others in taking their measures further.
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On Monday, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation called on Ontario Premier Doug Ford to join Alberta and Saskatchewan to pass legislation formalizing their opposition by blocking the federal government from disarming law-abiding, licenced firearm owners.
“Ford is right to oppose Ottawa for wasting money on this program that police say won’t make Ontarians safer,” said CTF’s Prairie Director Gage Haubrich. “But now he needs to follow the lead of Alberta and Saskatchewan and pass legislation to block Ottawa’s gun ban in Ontario.”
Police agencies bow out of gun grab
Numerous Ontario police services have gone on record refusing to take part in the contentious gun ban — including the Ontario Provincial Police, whose members are responsible for policing about a quarter of the province, as well as some of Canada’s largest municipal police forces including Toronto , Hamilton, Ottawa, Durham and Halton.
Despite a lack of police support, the federal government still insists their program will move ahead.
In the 2025 budget, the federal government set aside $742 million to fund the confiscation, with estimates the final cost could range in the billions.
A six-week pilot project carried out last fall in Cape Breton saw a total of 25 guns handed in by 16 people, with the government handing out $26,535 in compensation, an average of $1,658.44 per firearm.
That was enough for many advocates and observers to declare the gun grab as a failure before it even began.
“Law enforcement experts in Ontario say the gun grab will do nothing to make this province safer,” said CTF Ontario Director Noah Jarvis. “All governments need to focus on the real problem of criminals and illegal guns, not going after licensed firearm owners.”