Post by Woody Williams on May 17, 2006 19:28:34 GMT -5
www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/05/17/gun-registry-changes.html?email
Tories gut Liberals' gun registry
Last Updated Wed, 17 May 2006 06:22:58 EDT
CBC News
The Conservative government took its first steps Wednesday to scrap the
controversial long-gun registry, beginning with a one-year amnesty for
those who have not yet registered their non-restricted firearms.
Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said the government will introduce
legislation to eliminate the program brought in by Jean Chrtien's
Liberals 11 years ago.
But until the legislation makes its way through Parliament, Day
announced a number of measures that would effectively gut the registry
while keeping it the law.
"Our new government simply will not continue to fund ineffective
programs. Instead, we will invest our resources to better protect
Canadian families and their communities by putting more police officers
on the streets and in their communities."
Day said long-gun owners will no longer have to pay to register their
weapons and won't be prosecuted if they don't register them at all.
He said the government would provide refunds to those who have already
registered their long guns.
Among other changes Day announced:
* The government will transfer responsibility from the Canada
Firearms Centre to the RCMP.
* It will cut the annual operating budget for the program by $10
million.
The Tories have long opposed the registry, and promised during the
election campaign to scrap it. But the minority government has
apparently put those ambitions aside for now.
All three opposition parties support the registry and would probably
defeat any legislation that would dismantle it.
Fraser report slams cost of registry
On Tuesday, Auditor General Sheila Fraser issued a report that said the
former Liberal government hid the cost of the registry, which totalled
$946 million at the end of the 2005 fiscal year.
Fraser said the Liberals cooked the books and ignored legal advice while
hiding the costs from Parliament.
Opposition to the long-gun registry is highest among rural Canadians and
hunting enthusiasts, who say the registry penalizes legal gun owners and
does nothing to reduce crime.
Many Tories believe they have public support for their plans to
dismantle the registry, but it has strong support in Quebec and the
country's biggest cities, areas where the Conservatives want to build
support.
The registry also has support from police. The Canada Firearms Centre
says officers consult the firearms databank about 6,500 times a day.
Tories gut Liberals' gun registry
Last Updated Wed, 17 May 2006 06:22:58 EDT
CBC News
The Conservative government took its first steps Wednesday to scrap the
controversial long-gun registry, beginning with a one-year amnesty for
those who have not yet registered their non-restricted firearms.
Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said the government will introduce
legislation to eliminate the program brought in by Jean Chrtien's
Liberals 11 years ago.
But until the legislation makes its way through Parliament, Day
announced a number of measures that would effectively gut the registry
while keeping it the law.
"Our new government simply will not continue to fund ineffective
programs. Instead, we will invest our resources to better protect
Canadian families and their communities by putting more police officers
on the streets and in their communities."
Day said long-gun owners will no longer have to pay to register their
weapons and won't be prosecuted if they don't register them at all.
He said the government would provide refunds to those who have already
registered their long guns.
Among other changes Day announced:
* The government will transfer responsibility from the Canada
Firearms Centre to the RCMP.
* It will cut the annual operating budget for the program by $10
million.
The Tories have long opposed the registry, and promised during the
election campaign to scrap it. But the minority government has
apparently put those ambitions aside for now.
All three opposition parties support the registry and would probably
defeat any legislation that would dismantle it.
Fraser report slams cost of registry
On Tuesday, Auditor General Sheila Fraser issued a report that said the
former Liberal government hid the cost of the registry, which totalled
$946 million at the end of the 2005 fiscal year.
Fraser said the Liberals cooked the books and ignored legal advice while
hiding the costs from Parliament.
Opposition to the long-gun registry is highest among rural Canadians and
hunting enthusiasts, who say the registry penalizes legal gun owners and
does nothing to reduce crime.
Many Tories believe they have public support for their plans to
dismantle the registry, but it has strong support in Quebec and the
country's biggest cities, areas where the Conservatives want to build
support.
The registry also has support from police. The Canada Firearms Centre
says officers consult the firearms databank about 6,500 times a day.
