Mr. Speaker, today I rise on behalf of the residents of Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford regarding the gun confiscation program, which will cost Canadian taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. They feel it unfairly targets law-abiding, responsible and licensed gun owners, while doing nothing to address public safety and rising crime rates.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer estimates that the cost to compensate firearms owners alone will exceed $750 million. Even the public safety minister has serious doubts as to the effectiveness of the program, as do police jurisdictions across Canada.
The petitioning residents call upon the Government of Canada to immediately rescind the program and prioritize public safety with real change such as bail reform.