Alberta takes a hard line against Ottawa’s plan to ban assault rifles

CALGARY (CityNews) – Alberta takes a hard line against Ottawa’s plan to ban assault rifles, taking back forensic firearm testing and creating a panel that says they will help advise how to target criminals while protecting law abiding citizens.

The timing of the announcement is no coincidence, coming almost exactly a month after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau proclaimed, “We are closing the market for military grade assault weapons in Canada. We are banning 1,500 models and variants of these firearms by way of regulations.”

“While some in Ottawa believe in targeting legally purchased, inanimate objects, Alberta believes in targeting actual criminals who represent a threat to public safety,” Premier Jason Kenney said.

“So, you can put all sorts of Hollywood words on them to characterize them but theses are firearms again that have been used and are possessed legally by Albertans and Canadians.”

The province is taking control of all forensic firearm testing from the RCMP, having it done in labs in either Calgary or Edmonton.

“We do about 600 tests a year, but this will give us capacity to do about 750 firearms tests a year,” explained Alberta Minister of Justice, Doug Schweitzer.

“This doesn’t address any political concerns the government might have about how the federal government has raised restrictions on firearms. I think it has some really positive merit just in the sense it provides support to police agencies that are outside of Calgary and Edmonton,” said Doug King a Justice Studies professor at Mount Royal University.

The Kenney government is also creating a committee to consult with Albertans and provide recommendations to help create provincial policies around firearms.

“Law enforcement officers, hunters, sportsmen and sportswomen, collectors and a former member of the Canadian armed forces,” said the Premier.

“People could argue that the federal government’s actions were done largely without much public consultation. You can always potentially make comment and criticism that the advisory committee is a stacked committee but at least they’re going to go talk to the people,” King explained.

The overall goal of the province is to challenge what it calls “overreach” by the federal government and could see Alberta explore the idea of creating its own provincial police force.