admin
Canada’s federal buyback scheme is unraveling before it begins, as more than half the provinces and territories refuse to play along with what many see as a punitive grab of lawful property. Provincial leaders from Newfoundland and Labrador to Alberta have publicly rejected participation, insisting Ottawa is targeting hunters and lawful owners instead of criminals. This backlash makes a mockery of the federal government’s claim that the program is about public safety rather than control.
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s administration calls the effort a “voluntary return,” but critics rightly point out the thin veil over an effective forfeiture of rights and a waste of taxpayers’ money. Local officials keep asking why Ottawa would prioritize confiscating legally owned firearms while illicit guns flow across borders and violent crime remains unsolved. The result is a classic case of political theater: big promises, tiny results, and a lot of taxpayer cash squandered on optics.
The pilot program’s results are embarrassing for proponents — a Nova Scotia pilot reportedly netted just 25 prohibited firearms, at a cost that taxpayers will never be proud of. That paltry haul exposes the folly of thinking blanket measures aimed at lawful citizens will meaningfully reduce violent crime driven by gangs and illegal markets. When programs are judged by outcomes, this one fails spectacularly.
Police forces and agencies are pushing back too, warning that policing resources would be diverted from chasing criminals to enforcing politically motivated bans. The Ontario Provincial Police and several provincial governments have made clear they won’t be complicit in what looks like overreach, and premiers are demanding Ottawa rethink its priorities. Meanwhile, Ottawa has pushed the amnesty timeline and doubled down on rhetoric rather than fixing the real problems that endanger Canadians.
At the same time, the legacy press in the United States is collapsing under its own hubris and business failures, with major outlets executing mass layoffs and gutting newsrooms. The Washington Post’s recent round of cuts is emblematic of an industry that lost touch with its audience, spending decades chasing influence instead of the truth. Conservatives should not mourn the fall of partisan institutions that long abandoned balanced reporting; if anything, the shakeup opens space for independent, accountable journalism.
The decline in readership and trust for legacy outlets is no accident — audiences have voted with their feet after years of bias and infotainment masquerading as serious reporting. Traffic and subscription declines are forcing newspapers to finally reckon with their failure to provide value, and a media ecosystem that rewards transparency and facts will emerge stronger. The conservative critique has always been that mainstream outlets are part of the problem; the market is now making that claim undeniable.
The lesson is clear: governments that prey on lawful citizens’ rights invite resistance, and a press that trades integrity for influence loses both readers and credibility. Lawmakers should focus on actionable measures against criminal networks, not symbolic confiscations of legal property, and voters ought to demand accountability from both Ottawa and the media elite. If common-sense policies matter at all, this moment should be a wake-up call for policymakers who still think top-down mandates and grandstanding will substitute for real leadership.
