Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has previously voiced strong support for gun confiscation and mandatory buyback programs. As the campaign progresses, questions arise about how effective such policies could be in the U.S., given the experience of similar efforts in Canada.
Canada’s gun control efforts, led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, were designed to address concerns over public safety. Over the last six years, Trudeau’s government has been working to implement a ban on handguns and “assault weapons,” coupled with a mandatory buyback program. However, the initiative has been marked by delays, vague timelines, and rising costs. Although portrayed as urgent and essential by its proponents, the gun confiscation program remains mired in logistical and bureaucratic challenges.
Earlier this year, Conservative Member of Parliament Shelby Kramp-Neuman formally questioned the government’s Department of Public Safety on various aspects of the buyback program. Her queries ranged from the start date of gun seizures to the evidence used to justify the ban. In response, the government provided little substantive information, stating that key details of the program were still “being developed.” The lack of clarity and progress has led critics to question the feasibility and effectiveness of the program, especially given the rise in violent crime in Canada since its inception.
Despite Trudeau’s efforts to curtail gun violence, firearm-related crime in Canada has increased in recent years. The country saw an 8.9% increase in firearm-related violent crime in 2022, the highest rate since comparable data collection began in 2009.
In contrast, U.S. gun rights advocates, including many in Harris’ opposition, point to the Canadian example as a cautionary tale. Harris, who has long been a proponent of stricter gun control, may face similar challenges if she pushes for a mandatory buyback program in the United States. Critics argue that such policies could prove to be costly, ineffective, and divisive in a nation with significantly more gun owners and a deeply entrenched gun culture.
With Canada’s program yet to fully materialize and its costs spiraling, the future of large-scale gun confiscation remains a contentious issue, both in Canada and as a potential talking point in the U.S. presidential race.
