The federal government introduced legislation yesterday to eliminate Canada’s long gun registry.
The Ending the Long-Gun Registry Act bill is expected to be passed quickly, since the Conservative government gained a majority on May 2 this year, and now has the power to abolish the registry.
A similar bill last year missed scrapping the registry by a narrow margin when the Liberals forced all their MPs to vote against it, and some NDP MPs changed their stance and voted to retain the controversial registry.
Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Cathy McLeod says getting rid of the registry has been a priority of her government for many years.
“It was certainly a huge commitment in our election platform — we want to move forward with it.”
She found the long gun registry to be “wasteful, ineffective and inefficient,” and says it targets the wrong people – law-abiding hunters, fishers and farmers.
There are many mechanisms in place to protect public and police, McLeod notes, including the firearms acts and possession and acquisition licenses that remain in effect.
“I’m very comfortable that we have good checks and balances in place without the long gun registry in terms of public safety, and I’m pleased to represent the majority of constituents in Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo who feel that same way.”
Across the country, RCMP have consulted the registry as a safety precaution before entering homes, such as for domestic disputes.
100 Mile House RCMP S/Sgt. Brain Coldwell says the registry has been of assistance to the local detachment in confirming if residents own guns before they enter homes.
If the bill passes into legislation, however, he explains other safety aspects are in place, police do not rely solely on the registry and they will always respond as though people have access to guns.
“The police have always acted toward doing things that ensure our safety when we respond to calls. So, even if there were no firearms registered to a person … that doesn’t mean we would assume there are no firearms in the residence.”
Meanwhile, Exeter Sporting Goods owner Jude Dion says he will be “absolutely ecstatic” to see the demise of the registry.
It will help his business through more firearm sales, he explains, as many people are “totally against” the registry, and as a result are not purchasing long guns.
The government’s action in controlling long guns is not controlling crime, he adds.
“Dealing with me and you that own a firearm is not the problem, the problem is the criminals, so deal with them and leave us
alone.”
Once passed, the legislation will put an end to the requirement to register non-restricted firearms (long-guns); provide for the destruction of all current records pertaining to long-gun registrations contained in the Canadian Firearms Registry, and under the control of the chief firearms officers; and maintain controls over restricted and prohibited firearms.
