Mandatory assault-weapon buyback cost could balloon to billions, warn gun owner advocates

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's re-election platform proposes a mandatory buyback program for assault-weapons, which gun owner advocacy organizations argue will cost much more than the $800-million slated for it.

Public Safety Minister Bill Blair introduced a gun control bill on Feb. 16 that proposed a voluntary buyback program for a list of roughy 1,500 long guns. That bill died on the order paper when Parliament dissolved on Aug. 15. The Liberal re-election platform, released on Sept. 1, now is proposing a mandatory buyback program for firearms.The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

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BY Jesse Cnockaert

September 5, 2021

The Liberal government’s campaign promise to spend $800-million to buy back what it calls "assault-style" guns could have hidden administrative costs that would push the cost of the project into the billions, according to gun owner advocacy groups....

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