LETHBRIDGE, AB: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is applauding the government of Alberta’s move to defend firearms owners by creating the Provincial Firearms Act.

“Premier Danielle Smith is making the right move by shielding thousands of Alberta firearms owners from Prime Minister Trudeau’s wasteful gun grab,” said Kris Sims, Alberta Director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. “Police say the federal government’s massive seizure of firearms from hunters and ranchers will not make Canadians safer and history shows us this gun grab will also be a huge waste of taxpayers’ money.”

On Tuesday, Alberta Attorney General Tyler Shandro tabled Bill 8 in the legislature in Edmonton, legislation that would create the Provincial Firearms Act.

The Alberta government says it will use its Provincial Firearms Act to strengthen the role of the provincial Chief Firearms Officer and determine if municipal police forces can participate in federal government gun seizures from law-abiding firearms owners.

“It would empower our Chief Firearms Officer to advocate more strongly on behalf of Albertans to have the federal government reconsider policy changes that infringe on their rights,” Shandro told a news conference late Tuesday. “Every Albertan should be concerned about the precedent set by the federal intrusion into property rights of law-abiding and responsible Albertans, the activities of our law-abiding firearms community are essential to the economic vibrancy and the cultural heritage of this province.”

The federal long gun registry imposed by the federal government in the 1990s cost Canadian taxpayers more than $1 billion before it was finally scrapped.

“Canada is more than $1 trillion in debt and the Trudeau government has a major spending problem,” said Sims. “The last thing we need is another seizure of private property that turns into another boondoggle.”

The CTF has a petition calling on the Trudeau government to scrap its attempted firearms confiscation, which can be viewed HERE.

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