Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her province won’t participate in the Liberal government’s gun buyback program and that its municipal police forces will focus on “real” policing priorities.

“Alberta’s government will not be cooperating with this gun grab against law-abiding firearms owners,” Smith wrote on social media. “We expect law enforcement to focus their time and resources on real provincial policing priorities, like policing violent criminals, not hunters and sport-shooters.”

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This follows 2024 remarks to Rebel News, where Smith refused compliance under then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The Liberal government has since begun its gun “buyback” program with a six-week pilot in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, where local police are participating. Winnipeg police have also signed up for later efforts.

Public Safety Minister under scrutiny after leaked audio recording on gun 'buyback' plan

Gary Anandasangaree can be heard in a leaked audio recording suggesting political pressure from Quebec is a driving force behind the Liberals' controversial gun 'buyback' program.

On last… pic.twitter.com/Bsw4k4RCbJ

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) September 25, 2025

On September 23, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree announced the nationwide firearm “buyback” program will launch this fall for approximately 180,000 prohibited firearms in Canada.

Alberta's Justice and Public Safety Ministers, Mickey Amery and Mike Ellis, condemned the "ineffective and expensive confiscation scheme," urging the Liberal government to end the $700 million program that targets firearms owners and fails to enhance safety.

They referenced a leaked September 21 audio of Anandasangaree expressing doubt about the "buyback" program, citing municipal police resource limitations. He had previously told reporters on September 17 that the Ontario Provincial Police wouldn't participate.

Anandasangaree stated the Liberal Party continues the program to secure Quebec votes and fulfill Prime Minister Mark Carney’s election promise, following a previous Liberal government initiative.

After the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting involving stolen and smuggled weapons, Justin Trudeau's government banned 1,500 "assault-style" firearms. This list expanded to over 2,000 in March.

Conservative MP Frank Caputo calls out Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree following a leaked recording revealing the Liberal MP agrees the gun grab isn't about safety, but appeasing Quebec voters.
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— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) September 22, 2025

Alberta's government, as stated by Amery and Ellis, will not enforce the program, advising police it's not an enforcement priority. The province will also push for regulating legal firearm use, allowing Albertans to own and use them for sport and hunting, according to the statement.

Alberta has already moved to prevent seizure, storage, or destruction of firearms without a provincial license, and municipalities cannot create arbitrary firearms policies.

Anandasangaree expressed “absolute confidence” in the “buyback” program on Wednesday, despite questions regarding the disparity between his private and public statements. He maintains that participation is not mandatory.

The government's amnesty for licensed gun owners and businesses, allowing them to surrender prohibited firearms without criminal liability, has been extended multiple times, now set to expire on October 30, 2026.

After the amnesty, possessing prohibited firearms becomes a criminal offense, punishable by up to five years imprisonment under the Criminal Code.