The Canadian Sporting Arms and Ammunition Association has been demoted from its key role as a “participant” to a “consultant” in the federal government’s firearms buyback program after criticizing the Liberals’ approach to gun confiscation.
Despite being contracted to assist with the program, the CSAAA’s vocal opposition to the feasibility of the government plan from the outset has led to its role being significantly reduced.
“There is a severe lack of consultation with the firearms industry during the creation of these policies. The government’s approach often prioritizes political wins and input from victims’ groups, leaving industry experts and the legal firearms community sidelined with no say in their own futures,” reads a release from the association.
The CSAAA was originally contracted to help businesses with communications, inventorying firearms marked for confiscation, and assessing compensation for the affected firearms and businesses.
President of the CSAAA Wes Winkel told True North that his association was never to be involved with collecting and destroying guns but instead was assisting the structural administration, like helping with price estimates and getting the administrative structure set up. They also liaised with dealers and gathered feedback on websites and structure by using their dealer network for input.
The association is no longer responsible for collecting or distributing data for the government or firearm businesses. Instead, its role is now limited to on-demand consultation, offering industry expertise when requested.
True North previously reported CSAAA saying they felt like a political “pawn.”
The CSAAA called the buyback program complex. The association said it highlighted issues rather than offered solutions because none exist.
“The confiscation program is a fundamentally flawed idea,” reads the release.
Winkel told True North that his association had been a highly critical participant, warning the Liberals that their solutions would not work.
“They got frustrated with us and basically changed the contract to say that we’re now just consultants. We’re no longer doing any participation in the actual program itself,” said Winkel.
He added that the Liberals either demoted them because they criticized the feds or because they could not solve the issues and that no replacement has been named yet.
Winkel said that the main critiques were regarding solutions to the lack of transportation, facilities, and infrastructure.
Regarding transportation, he said that there are no mechanisms in the country to transport firearms back to the facilities safely. The only national carrier capable of doing so, Canada Post, has refused.
He added that in rural areas like Nunavut or Northern B.C., there is no access to couriers.
Winkel said that the Liberals have yet to allocate appropriate funds to the process.
Despite still not collecting a single gun, the cost of the program recently rose to $67 million.
In 2021, the Parliamentary Budget Officer calculated that the buyback program would cost over $750 million to compensate firearm owners.
Winkel said that the administrative costs will be “considerably more” than the amount given to firearms owners in compensation.
“Like everything the government does, the bureaucracy runs amok. And, now, we end up with huge cost overruns,” he said.
He said that the business side of the gun buyback is likely possible but viewed retrieving guns from individuals as an impossible task.
“Which is why they deferred the amnesty date until after the next federal election, because I think everyone kind of expects it to be a moot point by then, that it’s not going to happen,” said Winkel.
CEO and executive director of the Canadian Coalition for Firearms Rights, Rod Giltaca, told True North that he was surprised the Liberals haven’t completed the business portion of the buyback yet.
“The surprising part is that they haven’t been able to complete the retailer buyback. These are willing participants that possess invoices for exactly what they paid for these firearms, and the government knows where all these businesses are as they are licensed,” said Giltaca. “I’m sure there’s more to the story than what we see on the surface.”
Winkel said that by the next federal election, the Liberals may collect some guns to justify their ongoing process in their electoral campaign.
“But I don’t believe that there will be any substance to the volume that gets collected,” he said.
Winkel said that the Liberals haven’t kicked the CSAAA to the curb completely, and they still engage with them every week. However, they have been removed from the day-to-day structural administration.
“They no longer want us to contact the dealers on behalf of them. They want to go directly to the dealers themselves,” he said.