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Tories table bill to kill long-gun registry CBC News June 21, 2006 Related - What Happens When Citizens Guns Are Taken Away Stephen Harper's Conservative government has introduced legislation to abolish the long-gun registry, a controversial program they gutted last month. Shortly after 3 p.m. ET on Monday, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day introduced a bill to amend the Criminal Code and Firearms Act to end registration of rifles and shotguns. The handgun registry will remain in place, as will bans on automatic and assault weapons. MPs, who break for the summer on Friday, likely won't get to vote on the bill until they return in the fall. "The changes that our government is proposing are part of a law-and-order agenda that makes better use of our resources to enhance public safety and security," Day told reporters. "This government refuses to finance inefficient programs." People will still need licences to buy and own rifles and shotguns, but keeping a central registry was wastefully expensive, he said. The registry was much hated by gun-owning Conservative voters in parts of rural Canada. "As you can see, this government is keeping its promise to scrap the long-gun registry portion of the gun registry and to update the firearms program to make it cost-effective and efficient as a crime-fighting tool," Day said. Prime Minister Stephen Harper campaigned on a promise to scrap the long-gun registry. Article Posted at www.KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com The gun registry as a whole was supposed to cost $2 million when the Liberal government introduced it in 1995. Its cost wound up being roughly $1 billion. Some changes had already been introduced Last month, the Tories unveiled a number of measures that would effectively gut the system, including a one-year amnesty for people who haven't registered their firearms. The government also told long-gun owners they wouldn't face prosecution if they didn't register their weapons. Ottawa also said it would transfer responsibility for the registry from the Canada Firearms Centre to the RCMP and cut the annual operating budget for the program by $10 million. The minority government may have a tough sell on the proposed legislation scrapping the long-gun registry entirely, given that all three opposition parties have said they support the registry remaining in place. Day and Justice Minister Vic Toews have said they believe they can cobble together enough votes to get the bill passed. 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. Support is high in urban centres and in Quebec, where the Conservatives are trying to build support. Read the full article here. About KDR \| \| Home \| \| Weekly Features Archive	Weekly Weekly Features Archive
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Tories table bill to kill long-gun registry

CBC News
June 21, 2006

Canada Related - What Happens When Citizens Guns Are Taken Away

Stephen Harper's Conservative government has introduced legislation to abolish the long-gun registry, a controversial program they gutted last month.

Shortly after 3 p.m. ET on Monday, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day introduced a bill to amend the Criminal Code and Firearms Act to end registration of rifles and shotguns. The handgun registry will remain in place, as will bans on automatic and assault weapons.

MPs, who break for the summer on Friday, likely won't get to vote on the bill until they return in the fall.

"The changes that our government is proposing are part of a law-and-order agenda that makes better use of our resources to enhance public safety and security," Day told reporters. "This government refuses to finance inefficient programs."

People will still need licences to buy and own rifles and shotguns, but keeping a central registry was wastefully expensive, he said.

The registry was much hated by gun-owning Conservative voters in parts of rural Canada.

"As you can see, this government is keeping its promise to scrap the long-gun registry portion of the gun registry and to update the firearms program to make it cost-effective and efficient as a crime-fighting tool," Day said.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper campaigned on a promise to scrap the long-gun registry.

Article Posted at www.KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com

The gun registry as a whole was supposed to cost $2 million when the Liberal government introduced it in 1995. Its cost wound up being roughly $1 billion.

Some changes had already been introduced

Last month, the Tories unveiled a number of measures that would effectively gut the system, including a one-year amnesty for people who haven't registered their firearms.

The government also told long-gun owners they wouldn't face prosecution if they didn't register their weapons.

Ottawa also said it would transfer responsibility for the registry from the Canada Firearms Centre to the RCMP and cut the annual operating budget for the program by $10 million.

The minority government may have a tough sell on the proposed legislation scrapping the long-gun registry entirely, given that all three opposition parties have said they support the registry remaining in place.

Day and Justice Minister Vic Toews have said they believe they can cobble together enough votes to get the bill passed.

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.

Support is high in urban centres and in Quebec, where the Conservatives are trying to build support.

Read the full article here.