The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is praising Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Tony Wakeham for refusing to participate in the federal government’s gun confiscation program, calling the scheme costly, ineffective and unfair to lawful firearm owners.

In a statement released this week, the CTF said Wakeham is right to block provincial cooperation with Ottawa’s buyback and destruction program tied to the federal ban on thousands of firearm models.

“Premier Wakeham is making the responsible call by refusing to sign taxpayers up for Ottawa’s gun confiscation boondoggle,” said the taxpayer watchdog's general counsel, Devin Drover.

“This program targets licensed, law-abiding firearm owners who have already passed background checks and safety training, while doing nothing to stop criminals who traffic illegal guns. Even police organizations have warned that this scheme will divert scarce resources away from real crime-fighting.”

Drover compared the program to past Liberal firearms policies that dramatically exceeded cost projections.

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“Taxpayers have seen this movie before. The long-gun registry ballooned from a $2-million estimate to more than $2 billion, and now the Parliamentary Budget Officer is warning that the confiscation scheme could cost hundreds of millions, or even billions, once enforcement and administration are factored in. That’s money Canadians don’t have, especially during a cost-of-living crisis,” he said.

According to the CTF, Wakeham’s refusal puts Newfoundland and Labrador in line with other provincial and territorial governments that have declined to support Ottawa’s program.

“Wakeham is right to stand up to Ottawa and say Newfoundland and Labrador won’t be forced to help pay for ineffective political theatre,” Drover added. “Governments should be focused on cracking down on violent criminals, strengthening border controls and investing in front-line policing, not wasting billions confiscating property from responsible citizens.”

The federal government has yet to disclose how many firearms it has actually collected under the program or what the cost per firearm is, despite repeated parliamentary questions.

Critics argue that lack of transparency, combined with ballooning administrative costs, reinforces concerns that the confiscation effort will mirror past firearms policies that ran wildly over budget while failing to address violent crime.