The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is filing a ground-breaking legal challenge to force the federal government to release projected costs for the gun ban and confiscation. As a first step, the CTF will ask the court to compel the Information Commissioner to rule on a long-delayed access-to-information complaint.

“This case is about the accountability and transparency Canadians deserve in order to exercise their democratic rights,” said Devin Drover, CTF General Counsel. “Ottawa has a legal duty to respond to access-to-information complaints, yet the Commissioner has allowed this file to languish while taxpayers are left in the dark,

“Canadians have a right to know what this program will really cost and we’re in court to make sure the government follows the law and tells the truth.”

In July 2023, the CTF filed an access-to-information request seeking projected costs for the controversial federal firearm confiscation program. The government released partial records in January 2024, showing that the RCMP’s Pacific Region estimated it would cost $12.6 million to confiscate and destroy firearms in that region.

The government refused to release information on cost estimates from other RCMP divisions in a subsequent request.

The CTF filed a complaint with the information commissioner in April 2024, but the commissioner has yet to produce a report and has provided no explanation or timeline as to if or when it might be completed.

The Supreme Court of Canada has long held that the purpose of access-to-information legislation is to protect democracy. If Canadians cannot obtain information about important public policy issues in time to participate in public debate, their Charter right to freedom of expression are undermined.

“Taxpayers have a right to see the costs of Ottawa’s gun ban and confiscation,” said Gage Haubrich, CTF Prairie Director. “Ottawa shouldn’t be hiding the full picture of potential costs for a program that will cost taxpayers tons of money and that law enforcement experts say won’t make Canadians safer.”

Budget 2025 says the government has committed $742 million to carry out its gun ban and confiscation scheme, but the government has been anything but transparent on these costs to taxpayers.

The Liberal Party initially said the confiscation would cost $200 million in 2019. The Parliamentary Budget Officer said it will cost up to $756 million to compensate owners for their firearms. Other experts put the final price tag at about $6 billion.

The union representing RCMP members says Ottawa’s program “diverts extremely important personnel, resources, and funding away from addressing the more immediate and growing threat of criminal use of illegal firearms.” 

The initial court application can be found here.