The Alberta government’s new bill to protect owners of legal firearms from the federal government’s gun confiscation program has passed its third reading. The Alberta Firearms Act was introduced in March 2023 by Justice Minister Tyler Shandro in response to Ottawa’s plan to confiscate certain types of guns, including AR-15s. According to Brad Rutherford, government whip, the bill supports law-abiding firearms owners by reducing confusion and increasing accountability regarding the Chief Firearms Officer’s role, and creating tools that enable Alberta to protect its jurisdiction over firearms. The federal bill, Bill C-21, seeks to ban most semi-automatic shotguns and rifles, and federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino has accused the Alberta government of insinuating that the RCMP will not be enforcing federal law. To date, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and New Brunswick have joined forces to oppose the plan to confiscate legally acquired firearms from over 100,000 Canadians.
Alberta passes bill opposing federal gun confiscation.
