Yesterday, the Canadian Police Association (CPA) issued a news release asking the government for "the tools, resources and technology to compete with today’s sophisticated criminals." Breitkreuz pointed out, "It’s hypocritical for the CPA to ask the government for more resources when the CPA continues to support the Liberal waste of hundreds of millions on their useless gun registry – this despite the fact that the vast majority of police on the street hold the opposite view. The CPA should now muster the courage to tell the Liberals what they should have told them back in 1995."

During the emergency debate, Breitkreuz reminded the Liberals of Ontario Solicitor General Bob Runciman’s statements before the Senate Committee during their 1995 review of Bill C-68 (the Firearms Act):

• The compulsory registration of all firearms will divert police resources from more important tasks
• It will reduce the number of officers and amount of money available to deal with serious crime
• In national terms, 85 million dollars would put an another 1,000 customs agents on the border
• $500 million would put an extra 5,900 police officers on the street.

"The sad fact is the Liberals have exceeded their original $85 million cost estimate for the gun registry by $500 million," said Breitkreuz. "Information obtained under Access to Information Act (ATI) reveals that the gun registry has cost taxpayers $325 million over the first five years. While the Liberals stonewall us and the media about the registry costs for this year, inside sources tell us the Dept. of Justice has already wasted $260 million this year and that the costs will balloon to $300 million by the end of this fiscal year."

On July 19, 1999, The Toronto Star published a letter from Justice Minister Anne McLellan that stated: "user fees will cover the entire cost of the [gun registry] program." Last night in Parliament, Breitkreuz exposed this statement as just more mindless, ministerial misinformation. Another response to an ATI request from Anne McLellan’s department received in Breitkreuz’s office yesterday stated: "From 1 December, 1998 – 11 August, 2000 – the total amount of revenue received by the Receiver General in respect of fees imposed under the Firearms Act is $17,139,993. The Estimated amount of refunds applicable to the $45.00 amount paid by clients from 1 December 1999 – 14 June, 2000 is approximately $1,234,520." Breitkreuz concluded, "That’s about $570 million short, Madam Minister."

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