"The government only did one study on economic impact and it’s too hot for the public to handle."

"This is becoming a nasty habit for this government. In June they used ‘Cabinet Confidence’ to hide 172 pages of information on the true costs of the gun registry and now this," complained Breitkreuz. "I have written to the Information Commissioner about the Justice Department’s abuse of the ‘Cabinet Confidence’ excuse and apparently his hands are tied by the legislation." The Information Commissioner wrote, "As you know, Cabinet Confidences are excluded from the ambit of the Act. My office has no authority to compel an institution to produce such records for inspection in the course of an investigation."

"During the debate of Bill C-68 (the Firearms Act) in 1995, the Liberal government promised Parliament and the Canadian people that their gun registration scheme would not have a negative impact on the economy and that the implementation costs would only be $85 million over five years. Both these statements have been proven false," said Breitkreuz. "I have budget documents proving the government spent $216 million on the registry since 1995. And a review of Firearms Business Permits issued by the RCMP between 1979 and 1997 shows that the number of firearms dealers has dropped from 8,931 to 2,349 over the last 18 years - that’s 6,582 fewer firearm dealers. Who knows how many jobs have been lost? Maybe that’s what is in the secret government report? This is a disgusting performance for a government that promised in 1993, "Open government will be the watchword of the Liberal program." (Page 92 of the Red Book, Creating Opportunity – The Liberal Plan for Canada). "So much for their promise to restore confidence in our political institutions," concluded Breitkreuz.

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Yorkton Office: (306) 782-3309

Ottawa Office: (613) 992-4394

Filed May 14, 1999 - Department of Justice File A99-00034

Please provide me with all documents, reports, studies, and correspondence that would allow me to know what impact the implementation of Bill C-68, an Act respecting firearms and other weapons, Statutes of Canada 1995 Chapter 39, will have on the economy of Canada, including but not limited to:

• the impact on the number of jobs, the number of businesses, their sales and operations
• the impact on the number of firearms dealers, their sales and operations
• the impact on number of visitors to and from Canada and tourist dollars spent in Canada
• the impact on aboriginal guiding and outfitting jobs and businesses
• the impact on sporting goods sales and manufacturers
• the impact on the sales and manufacturing of recreational vehicles
• the impact on trade between Canada and the U.S.A. and other foreign countries
• the impact on the gun clubs and shooting ranges and the economic spin-offs in their communities
• the impact on firearms collectors and museums
• the impact on hunting and shooting sports
• the impact on the number of hunters and the consequential effect on wildlife populations
• the impact on the number of firearms collectors and museums
• the impact on gun shows and economic spin-offs in the communities that host them
• the impact on the number of violent crimes and related costs
• the impact on government operations, personnel, expenditures and revenue
• the impact on customs and excise operations, personnel and expenditures
• the impact on police operations, enforcement, personnel and expenditures
• the impact on the court system and the corrections and parole system.

Anne Brennan, Departmental Co-ordinator

Access to Information and Privacy Office

Department of Justice

284 Wellington Street, First Floor

Ottawa, Ontario

K1A 0H8