A leading gun-control organization has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the federal government’s plan to buy back assault-style firearms if it doesn’t include a ban on the semi-automatic SKS rifle.
Since May 2020, the Canadian government has prohibited around 2,500 types of guns, deeming them more suitable for military use rather than for hunting or sports shooting.
The government aims to initiate a buyback program to compensate owners of banned firearms fairly, with specific details set to be revealed this Tuesday.
Notably, the SKS rifle, often utilized in Indigenous communities for hunting, remains legal despite its involvement in police incidents and high-profile shootings.
PolySeSouvient, an organization founded following the tragic 1989 mass shooting at Montreal’s École Polytechnique, argues that allowing the SKS to stay in circulation poses a threat to public safety.
The group urges the government to immediately halt the sale of new SKS rifles, eliminate modern assault-style variants from the market, and introduce a voluntary buyback scheme for older models.
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree announced plans to unveil the next phase of the buyback initiative, including a pilot program in Nova Scotia, during a news conference on Parliament Hill scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
PolySeSouvient emphasized that without a ban on the SKS, Canada lacks proper regulation on assault-style weapons, potentially leading to a proliferation of new SKS models in place of banned firearms.
The organization expressed concerns that the buyback program might end up benefiting gun manufacturers and the industry at the expense of taxpayers, failing to address the core issue of gun violence.
