The provincial government is introducing legislation to further push back against federal firearm restrictions.
Bill 8, the Alberta Firearms Act, will better define the role of Alberta’s chief firearms officer (CFO) and will enable the province to introduce its own regulations in response to federal firearm legislation.
Alberta Justice Minister Tyler Shandro has been critical of the federal Liberals’ Bill C-21, which includes a national handgun freeze and prohibition on many assault-style firearms.
He has indicated Alberta would not agree to having RCMP officers act as confiscation agents and would protest any such move under the provincial-federal agreement that governs policing.
Shandro said the new legislation would give Alberta the tools it needs to deal with what he called escalating attacks by Ottawa on law-abiding Alberta gunowners.
Shandro said the CFO would work with gun owners and gun-related businesses for advocacy, and would be required to submit annual reports to “show accountability and raise awareness for the office’s work.”
The legislation also calls for the creation of requirements for forensic testing of the confiscated firearms when deemed necessary.
“If you have a massive confiscation program of thousands of firearms, it could potentially be a great way for someone to get rid of a firearm that was used in a crime. It’s important for us to have that information,” Shandro said.
About 30,000 prohibited firearms are believed to exist in Alberta under the federal definition.
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