Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree has come under fire after a leaked audio recording revealed him discussing the federal gun grab program, making remarks that appeared to suggest the program is being pursued partly for ideological reasons rather than in the interest of public safety.The approximately 20-minute conversation, recorded without the minister’s knowledge — by a tenant who lives in a Toronto property owned by the minister — was originally shared with the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights (CCFR)..The program, a continuation of the Trudeau-era ban on over 1,500 “assault-style” firearms, is set to launch on Tuesday with a pilot project in Cape Breton.In the recording, Anandasangaree talks candidly about the program and offers personal assurances to the tenant as well as acknowledging political influences on the decision.He confirmed gun owners would not be fully compensated for modifications or additional parts that were added to firearms being surrendered, confirming to his tenant that he will “probably” be losing money on his legally obtained firearms.Anandasangaree explained the gun grab program was “voluntary” and discussed three options: deactivation at the owner’s cost (with federal compensation minus modifications), surrender to the federal government or a collecting agency, or ignoring the program — in which case enforcement would fall to local police.When talking about a hypothetical situation where he does not surrender his property to local police, the tenant asked the minister if he would then “become a criminal,” to which the minister replied: “probably.”However, Anandasangaree said he doubted it would escalate to arrests and even offered to personally cover the tenant’s losses or bail him out if necessary.“I doubt very much it’s going to go that far... I will come and bail you out if that happens,” he revealed. “I just don’t think municipal police forces have the resources to do this.”.Carney says gun grab program is 'voluntary,' not a 'confiscation'.Anandasangaree revealed the original budget for the program was $742 million, saying it was a “capped buyback,” raising the question of whether, once the funds are exhausted, firearms owners will still get reimbursed for surrendered property.Pressed by the tenant, the minister emphasized that the program is being implemented because it was a part of a campaign promise, in particular to the Quebec electorate, describing the province as a “different place than other parts of Canada.”“It’s very much a big, big, big deal for many of the Quebec electorate that voted for us, and that’s one of the major things,” Anandasangaree said.“People have said this is one of the things we should not execute... drop it... like as a change from Trudeau’s policies, but we made the decision to go ahead.”When asked what he would have done differently if he had been involved in the program from the start, Anandasangaree admitted he would have focused on putting people in prison who have illegal firearms and commit violent acts.He later apologized for his comments on Monday in a statement to the Toronto Star, calling them “misguided” but reiterated his support for the buyback program.“On Sunday, I had a conversation with an individual I have known for many years, who recorded it without my knowledge before it was distributed by a gun lobbyist,” he wrote.“I make a point to speak with Canadians who do not support our approach, to listen to their concerns and ensure they understand their options in this voluntary buyback program. In trying to address this individual’s frustrations, my comments were misguided.”
