Sask. government pulling money away from federal gun buyback

The Saskatchewan government is trying to put its foot down when it comes to guns.

In 2020, the federal government reclassified about 1,500 types of guns as prohibited and committed to implementing a buyback program. While there are indications that program is starting to be set up, Saskatchewan’s government is throwing up roadblocks.

According to the province’s chief firearms officer, Robert Freberg, the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety sent a letter to the RCMP on Tuesday indicating the province supports anti-crime initiatives that focus on the issues related to the criminal use of firearms and that prevent gang violence and address illegal or smuggled guns.

“However, we do not support initiatives that will impact law-abiding, RCMP-vetted hunters, sport shooters, ranchers, farmers and others who use firearms for lawful and good purposes,” Freberg told Gormley on Wednesday.

Therefore, Freberg said the provincial government has decided it won’t allow the use of provincial funds to administer and enforce the buyback program, which Freberg called a confiscation program.

“We’re saying this isn’t a priority to use our taxpayers’ dollars,” said Freberg.

According to the firearms officer, that means the RCMP will have to make some decisions going forward because the police services get more than $200 million from the provincial government for their policing operations in Saskatchewan.

He believes the RCMP would have to send federally funded resources into Saskatchewan, and he doesn’t believe that would happen.

“(It depends) whether they have other resources or other funding or other ways that they could get people into the province to do that. But as you know, they’re significantly understaffed in the province to begin with,” said Freberg.

The province has had discussions with some municipal police chiefs and mayors, according to Freberg, to educate them on why the province is going down this path and how they can support the province going forward.

Freberg said the province hasn’t had a chance to get a full official response from them, but it has spoken to Regina’s police chief, Evan Bray, and the head of the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police, Rick Bourassa.

Freberg said there are organizations that have launched lawsuits over the reclassifying of the 1,500 guns. He said Alberta is looking to see if it can join and be a party to those, and if that’s possible, then the idea will be brought to the Saskatchewan cabinet as well.

In addition, Freberg teased an announcement coming from the provincial government in the next few weeks.

“We’ll be coming out with a pretty significant announcement later in the fall as we get towards the legislature sitting again that I think is going to address many of the issues that responsible firearms owners in this province have, in addition to supporting enhanced initiatives in public safety,” said Freberg.