YORKTON – Garry Breitkreuz, Member of Parliament for Yorkton-Melville, Saskatchewan, is pleased with the Supreme Court of Canada’s ruling today that supports the Government of Canada’s right to destroy the federal long-gun registry’s Quebec data.

“Today’s decision is a victory not only for the federal Conservative government, but for all law-abiding gun owners in Quebec. Our government recognized long ago that the $2 billion registry was nothing more than a political pacifier created by a previous government to give the impression that it was doing something to make Canadians safer.  Nothing could have been further from the truth,” said Breitkreuz.

While dissenting opinions were voiced by all three Quebec Supreme Court of Canada judges, the majority wrote:  “In our view, the decision to dismantle the long-gun registry and destroy the data that it contains is a policy choice that Parliament was constitutionally entitled to make.”

Mr. Breitkreuz has fought for the rights of law-abiding Canadians who enjoy the use of firearms since he was first elected to Parliament. He sought to scrap the long-gun registry when it was first introduced in 1995 by then Justice Minister Allan Rock under a previous Liberal government.  In 2012, he was proud to support and pass the Ending the Long-Gun Registry Act in Parliament.

“It’s been two years since the federal government scrapped the long-gun registry, and public safety has not been compromised,” continued Breitkreuz.  “Indeed, public safety is a priority of this government so we are focusing on tackling those who are predisposed to breaking the law, rather than those who are simply trying to enjoy a way of life that has been part of Canada’s heritage since Confederation.

“It’s unfortunate that the Quebec government appears determined to create its own registry of law-abiding gun owners.  The federal long-gun registry did nothing to enhance public safety because it targeted the wrong people. You can be sure that criminals won’t be lining up to register their guns in the Province of Quebec, and those are the people we need to go after if we truly want to control crime,” concluded Breitkreuz.

The Conservative government’s Common Sense Firearms Licensing Act to streamline licensing and eliminate needless red tape will further ease the burden of law-abiding gun owners and is presently being debated in Parliament.

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