Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge the decision made by the Cornwall Police Service this week to not participate in the Liberals' firearm confiscation program. Police services are already stretched thin, responding to real threats in our community, such as violent crime and illegal guns that have been smuggled across the border. Cornwall Police Service joined the OPP and the dozens of other services that have rejected this Liberal policy, saying that diverting officers and resources towards taking firearms away from vetted, law-abiding Canadians is not the best use of their time.
Our police officers should be focused on stopping criminals and keeping dangerous weapons off our street, not administering a costly $752-million federal program that does little to address the root causes of gun violence. I thank the leadership and members of the Cornwall Police Service for being transparent about their concerns and for continuing to prioritize the safety of the people they serve. Canadians deserve policies that actually target criminals and strengthen public policy and public safety, not ones that burden local police and responsible firearms owners.