REGINA - The Saskatchewan government passed a firearms bill Thursday with the support of the Opposition NDP that aims to promote safety but also appears to put roadblocks in place for when Ottawa starts a program to buy back banned guns.
The province's legislation requires RCMP, policing bodies or other agents to receive a licence from the provincial firearms office should they participate in the federal buyback program.
鈥淲hat we are saying and being very prescriptive here, that if they are confiscating a firearm, and they鈥檙e acting on behalf of an agent or acting on behalf of the federal government and confiscating the firearm, that they must get a licence,鈥 Public Safety Minister Christine Tell said.
Tell said police don鈥檛 need a licence to take a firearm if it鈥檚 part of their regular policing duties.
The legislation is partly in response to Ottawa鈥檚 proposed buyback program, which Premier Scott Moe's Saskatchewan Party government does not want RCMP participating in.
The federal program would require owners of guns that are now banned, such as the AR-15, to either sell them to the government, have them rendered inoperable at federal expense or be lawfully disposed of.
However, should people participate in the buyback program, Saskatchewan Chief Firearms Officer Robert Freberg said regulations are in place to ensure it is done safely.
Freberg said agents confiscating weapons must have a secure storage site.
The stored weapons would then be catalogued, he said, allowing his office to determine through ballistics testing whether they had been used in a crime or were stolen.
Freberg said those who participate would be fully compensated by the federal government.
His office is establishing an online portal where participants would be paid. Firearms owners can also appeal the price Ottawa would offer.
鈥淭he firearm cannot be destroyed until the two criteria on the compensation are agreed to and the ballistics work has been done,鈥 he said.
Tell said municipal forces are required to seek approval from the province's public safety minister if they want to accept federal funding to participate in the program.
She said it鈥檚 鈥渘ot likely鈥 she would grant permission.
鈥淭hat is not their function,鈥 Tell said. 鈥淧olice are there to perform a number of functions in their community. This would be on the request on the behest of an agent or the federal government to expropriate firearms from lawful firearms owners.鈥
Tell said the legislation also ensures agents are acting safely.
Opposition NDP member Trent Wotherspoon said the legislation offers 鈥渃ommon sense measures around processes that would relate to any changes that affect the federal government.鈥
鈥淎nd ultimately, we want to make sure that there's fairness for gun owners through those processes," he added.
Ottawa said it plans to spend $29 million to help Public Safety Canada and the RCMP develop an 鈥淚T solution鈥 to compensate firearms owners and 鈥渟afely remove鈥 banned weapons from communities.
Saskatchewan RCMP have said they aren鈥檛 certain of their role in the program because details have not been finalized.
This report by 香港六合彩挂牌资料 was first published April 6, 2023.
