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Changes to provincial firearms legislation in response to the federal gun buyback program are being described by the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation (SWF) as a positive step.
Proposed changes to the Saskatchewan Firearms Act would require fair market value be paid for any seized gun, in response to a federal ban announced in 2020 on more than 2,500 firearms.
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“We know, just looking at the legislation on the federal level, that it’s targeting the wrong demographics,” Todd Smith, the executive director of the SWF, said in an interview.
“If they’re looking to reduce crime, it’s not by targeting the federally licensed and vetted firearms owners that you’re going to accomplish that goal.
“If a forced buyback is something that the federal government’s going to pursue, even though we’ve seen that the initial pilot project out in Nova Scotia was fairly dismal as far as response goes, it’s great to see that the Saskatchewan government is standing up for local owners in ensuring that they would be fairly compensated for the firearms — the personal property — that they would have to give up.”
If the changes are passed, fair market value for a seized firearm would be determined by the Saskatchewan Firearms Office commissioner. An online portal would be set up for appraisals.
One of the Saskatchewan government’s concerns is a $742 million cap on total payouts, a concern Smith shares.
“If you are later to comply, or you take your time in evaluating the options, you could potentially miss out and then not be compensated at all for the property you legally purchased,” he said.
The changes would also give the Saskatchewan Firearms Office the authority to store firearms on the banned list so their owners don’t find themselves in violation of the law.
Ultimately, both the Moe government and Smith hope the federal government will reverse course and pursue gun crime through other avenues.
“I’m hopeful that (the federal government) backs off of their intended plan to target licensed firearms owners, and actually dedicate those funds to things like border security, better policing, to be able to tackle the firearms issues that we have within Canada.”
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