The Canadian federal firearm buyback program, introduced in 2020, has cost taxpayers nearly $67.2 million but has yet to collect a single firearm. The program, aimed at compensating owners of assault-style firearms banned by the Liberal government, has faced delays and lacks many crucial details, even as the October 2025 deadline for turning in or deactivating prohibited weapons approaches.
Of the total cost, $56.1 million was spent by Public Safety Canada, and $11.1 million was used by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Additionally, $11.5 million has gone to external consultants for services such as software and logistics.
Despite these expenditures, no firearms have been collected so far, leading critics like Senate opposition leader Donald Plett to call the program a “boondoggle,” accusing the government of wasting taxpayer money without making progress.
The program was initially launched in response to Canada’s worst mass shooting in April 2020, which left 22 dead in Nova Scotia, and modeled after New Zealand’s successful firearm buyback program. The Canadian government plans to roll out the program in two phases, beginning with businesses that hold banned firearms stock, followed by individual owners.
While the government aims to advance the program, critics from various sectors, including gun advocates and the opposition, remain vocal about its inefficiency and lack of progress.