Long-gun Registry

June 15, 2010

Private Members’ Bill, C-391, to repeal the long-gun registry, continues to be a contentious issue here in Ottawa. The lines are drawn, but for the life of me I cannot fathom the logic of those opposing the elimination of this costly Long-Gun Registry.  Below are some facts:

• The Auditor General, in her 2006 report, condemned the current gun registry as inefficient, wasteful and containing unreliable data.  The original cost was to be $2 million.  To-date, $2 billion has been spent.
• Bill C-391 eliminates only the Long-Gun Registry. Handguns and automatic weapons will still require registration.
• Persons owning long-guns will still need to have a license, store the firearms in a safe locked place, and be required to take firearm handling training.
• Those purchasing a firearm from a retailer will still be registered at the time of sale as the owner of the firearm.
• Criminals do not register their firearms. 59% of all gun-related homicides in Canada are committed with handguns; 93% of those handguns are smuggled into Canada. Only 28% of homicides were committed with long-guns, and of that only 3.5% were registered long-guns.
• Because there will never be 100% compliance with the Long-Gun Registry, police can never be certain of the information they receive from the Long-Gun Registry Data Center.
• The Long-Gun Registry has proven to be a costly ineffective way to reduce guns on our streets.  I believe that law enforcement is the way to reduce guns and gangs.
• Police can still know who has a firearm license and access where that person lives. 
• Guns don’t kill people. People kill people. With the money saved by eliminating the Long-Gun Registry more focus can be spent on investigating people with mental health issues or criminal records.  These people should not be allowed to hold a firearm license.

Our government will continue to forward Bill C-391 to eliminate the Long-Gun Registry.  We will commit the money saved for hiring more front-line police officers so that our streets will be safer for all Canadian citizens. The real question for those wanting to keep the Long-Gun Registry is:  “What is the most effective way to spend taxpayer dollars to protect citizens and make our streets safer?” I believe it is not in the wasteful and costly Long-Gun Registry.

Colin Mayes, MP
Okanagan - Shuswap