Question Period Note: Assault Style Firearms Compensation Program

• The Government committed to providing fair compensation to businesses and individual firearms owners legally required to dispose of prohibited assault-style firearms.
• The previous Government prohibited what is now over 2,500 makes and models of ASFs through three prohibitions. All of these prohibited firearms have semi-automatic action with sustained rapid-fire capability, which are not appropriate for hunting or sporting and exceed safe civilian use.
• There more than 19,000 estimated non-restricted makes and models, meaning that over 127,000 variations of firearms remain available for hunting and sport shooting in Canada.

• We cannot be tough on crime without being tough on firearms.

• We know that too many Canadians have been affected by acts of gun violence in communities across our country. That is why our government has adopted a multi-tiered approach to reducing gun violence through the delivery of the Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program, investing in policing, border enforcement, and community gang prevention strategies.

• The Government has prohibited over 2,500 makes and models of assault-style firearms and upper receivers, including those used in Canada’s mass shootings. These firearms are not suitable for hunting or sport shooting and exceed safe civilian use.

• We are taking action to keep Canadians safe by removing assault-style firearms from our communities. The Program was launched for firearm businesses in December 2024 and is providing fair compensation for turning-in their banned firearms for destruction.

• Individual firearm owners will be able to participate in the Program later this year.

Amnesty Order
• Three Amnesty Orders under the Criminal Code came into force at the same time as the amendments to the Regulations to protect lawful ASF owners and businesses from criminal liability and to allow them time to come into compliance with the law. The amnesties also provide a temporary exception for Indigenous Peoples’ exercising their traditional hunting right, as recognized under Section 35 of the Constitution Act, as well as those who use firearms for sustenance hunting. This exception enables them to continue to use their prohibited firearms (if previously non-restricted) until a suitable replacement can be found. The May 2020 and December 2024 amnesty orders expire on October 30, 2025, and the March 2025 amnesty order expires on March 1, 2026.
• During the amnesty period, including throughout the implementation of the Program, owners may also choose to dispose of their affected ASFs and prohibited devices (i.e., upper receivers of the M16, AR-10, AR-15 and M4 pattern ASFs) as set out in Amnesty Order (e.g., turning them in to police, or having them deactivated for no compensation, or exported).

Update to the Program
• Since December 6, 2024, affected businesses have been able to ship their ASFs and devices by any licensed carrier for the purpose of destruction (supported by amendments made to the Amnesty Order in Spring 2024) or deactivation and submit their claims for compensation via a Web Portal and Case Management System.
• The Program is not yet available to individual gun owners, but is expected to be available later in 2025.
• The Government of Canada has also communicated its intent to provide fair compensation to businesses and individual firearms owners affected by the December 2024 and March 2025 prohibition as part of the Program. Information on the timelines for this activity will be shared publicly in due course.

If Pressed
Q1 - When will this program be in full operation? Will it cover all the guns that have been prohibited?
• The program launched for licensed firearms businesses in December 2024 and has been successful. Work is well advanced to open the program to individual firearms owners. We have taken the time needed to get it right, and are committed to opening this phase of the program in the near future. We will be sharing more information on how to participate and which firearms are eligible for compensation in the near future.
Q2 - How many guns have been collected under this program?
• The Business Phase of this program has been successful with more than 12,300 Assault Style Firearms claimed for compensation, and over 9,300 of those have already been destroyed.
Q4 - How much is this program going to cost?
• We are committed to this program being as cost-effective and efficient as possible, but cannot put a price on public safety. As we move ahead with launching the Individuals Phase of the program, we will have more information to share on the total costs.

Q5 - The Liberal platform “Canada Strong” released on April 19 2025 was to “Continue to implement an efficient gun buyback program for assault-style firearm.” What efficiencies are involved, and how will you save money?
• We remain committed to this program being as cost-effective and efficient as possible. The goal remains to promote public safety by safely and securely removing assault-style firearms from our communities.

Q6 - How can you launch a national program when Alberta and Saskatchewan oppose it?
• As we move ahead with the program for individuals across Canada, we continue to extend the invitation for both provinces to participate so their impacted gun owners can receive fair compensation while coming into compliance with the law.

Q7 - Will delivering this program have an impact on frontline policing?
• The work required by the different police jurisdictions across Canada to implement the Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program for individual firearms owners cannot, and will not compromise the crucial work that front-line police undertake to keep our communities safe every day.