Punishing the Law-Abiding Won’t Make Canada Safer

Punishing the Law-Abiding Won’t Make Canada Safer Let’s talk about the federal government’s so-called gun “buyback,” because Canadians deserve honesty — and this policy is anything but honest. This program does not target criminals. It targets the most law-abiding citizens in the country. People who followed the rules. People who took safety courses. People who passed background checks. People who registered their firearms. People who did everything the government asked of them. And now they’re being punished for it. Meanwhile, the people actually committing gun crimes are untouched by this policy. They don’t have licenses. They don’t register firearms. They don’t take safety courses. And they certainly aren’t lining up to hand anything over to the government. They are criminals — and this policy does absolutely nothing to stop them. That’s why this so-called gun grab is a complete waste of time, a complete waste of money, and a complete distraction from what actually keeps communities safe. If someone commits a violent crime with a firearm, there should be real consequences — not catch-and-release bail, not revolving-door justice, not political theatre. That is where public safety lives. That is where bail reform matters. That is where government should be focused. And this isn’t just opinion — it’s been stated plainly by police leadership. Even here in Durham Region, our own police have acknowledged that gun crime entering our community is not being committed by legal gun owners. That fact alone destroys the justification for this policy. So when politicians claim this is about safety, Canadians should understand what they’re really being sold: optics, control, and the targeting of the easiest group — not the most dangerous one. Several police services across Ontario have already made their position clear. The Toronto Police Service and the Barrie Police Service have publicly stated that they will not participate in the collection of legally owned firearms, citing resource constraints and the need to focus on real crime, not political programs. That reality makes it even more important for residents to know where their own police services stand. That is why I have formally written to Durham Regional Police Chief Peter Moreira requesting confirmation on whether DRPS will participate in the federal program, whether police resources will be diverted away from real crime, and whether DRPS has communicated any position to Ottawa. I am currently awaiting a response, and I will share that response publicly when it is received — because transparency matters. Across Canada, Premiers including Doug Ford and others are now pushing back against this policy, recognizing what Canadians already know: this will not stop crime, and it will not make communities safer. History also tells us what happens when governments disarm the law-abiding while ignoring criminals. Across countries and across generations, the pattern is the same. Governments disarm those who obey the law first. They promise safety. They promise order. They promise the power will never be abused. And then power is centralized — and when things go wrong, the people have no protection left. We’ve seen this story before: in 1930s Germany, the Soviet Union, Mao’s China, Cambodia, Venezuela. Different nations. Different leaders. Same outcome. Canadians should be especially alarmed because we have already seen our own government turn state power on peaceful citizens. During the convoy protests, police were used against ordinary Canadians under the Emergencies Act — and a court later ruled that action unlawful. So don’t tell Canadians this could never happen here. It already did. And once a government crosses a line, it becomes easier to cross the next one — and the next — and the next. History doesn’t repeat because people are blind. It repeats because they’re told, “This time is different.” It never is.