Garry Breitkreuz, M.P. Yorkton-Melville

News Release

For Immediate Delivery

September 29, 1998

ALBERTA COURT RULING STRENGTHENS REFORM’S RESOLVE TO REPEAL C-68

"Today we lost one battle but I’m convinced in the long run honest gun owners will still win the war."

Yorkton – One week after thousands rallied on Parliament Hill to protest the Federal government’s legislation to licence seven million law-abiding gun owners and register twenty-one million legally-acquired firearms, the Alberta Court of Appeal ruled against a provincial constitutional challenge to the law. "This is a sad day for Canada and our Constitution when the Federal Government can claim whatever it wants to be criminal law to justify their intrusion into areas of exclusive provincial jurisdiction," commented Breitkreuz. "I will be writing the Provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario asking them to appeal this ruling to the Supreme Court of Canada and urging them to continue to opt-out of the administration of the fatally flawed and totally unnecessary registration scheme."

Three of the five Alberta Justices ruled that the licencing and registration provisions are valid under the Federal Government’s criminal law power. The two dissenting Justices concluded that the legislation is constitutionally invalid because it falls within the exclusive jurisdiction of the provinces’ power over property and civil rights.

"This decision strengthens our resolve to repeal Bill C-68 in its entirety. The registration system will be an ineffective waste of time and money, diverting resources from high priority police enforcement activities and important criminal justice programs, and do nothing to improve public safety or remove firearms from the hands of criminals."

Breitkreuz promised, "I will continue to fight for the total repeal of Bill C-68 because it infringes on the fundamental rights and freedoms of all Canadians including: (1) arbitrary powers to prohibit any and all firearms ‘in the opinion’ of the Cabinet, (2) confiscation of private property without a fair hearing and without compensation, (3) searches of homes and businesses without any evidence of a criminal offence, and (4) violation of our right to remain silent."

The Federal government has misled Canadians about the costs and the merits of this legislation for the last four years. Our Party is committed to exposing these lies. Once the truth is known, Canadians will see this bogus bill for what it is and ask their Members of Parliament to do something that helps police fight real crime and put real criminals behind bars," concluded Breitkreuz.

-30-

For more information please contact
The Office of GarryBreitkreuz, M.P.

Yorkton: (306) 782-3309
Ottawa: (613) 992-4394

• the number of rifles and shotguns to register,
• the number of gun owners to licence,
• the costs of implementing the system,
• the number of firearms involved in crime,
• the level of public support for gun registration,
• the level of police support for gun registration,
• the costs of forcing gun owners to comply with the new laws, and
• the costs to the economy, to businesses, and to Canadians in jobs lost