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Hunters applaud bill

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AS the saying goes, "when it rains, it pours". Last week's column described the efforts of Thunder Bay-Rainy River NDP Member of Parliament, John Rafferty, to eliminate the long-gun registry. And lo and behold, on Feb. 9, Yorkton-Melville Conservative MP, Garry Breitkreuz introduced a Private Members bill -- Bill C-301 -- to abolish the decade-old long-gun registry.

Breitkreuz has been opposed to the long-gun registry since 1994, when it was just a gleam in the eye of Liberal Justice Minister, Alan Rock. The Breitkreuz bill is the culmination of a decade of hard work by this dedicated Saskatchewan parliamentarian. Breitkreuz has achieved semi-mythical status within Canada's sustainable use community and is a familiar face to thousands of law-abiding firearms owners from coast to coast to coast. "I had just been elected MP in 1993 and the firearms registry was proposed in 1994," he said. "I was not really familiar with the issue until I was asked to attend a meeting in Preeceville.

It was a bitterly cold January day, about minus 39 C as I recall, but hundreds of people showed up to not only voice their opposition to the registry proposal, but to ask me as their MP to take action on their behalf." Breitkreuz described his painstaking research into firearms legislation and he confirmed his constituents were right. Not only does long-gun registration not work, it is a costly diversion of public resources away from more effective policing.

"Those early days of our campaign against the registry were lonely days. I was called a liar on many occasions by some Liberal MPs and ministers when I brought up facts about why (long-gun) registries don't work," Breitkreuz said. "The turning point came with the Auditor General's report that independently confirmed all of my points. That caused people to sit up and take notice." Breitkreuz heaped praise on the thousands of grassroots citizens who mobilized against the registry from day one.

"The unfairness of the registry galvanized people to get involved with politics; many for the first time," said Breitkreuz. "I especially want to acknowledge Canada's hunting, angling, trapping and shooting sports organizations. Not only are they great conservationists but they really stepped up to the plate on this issue." Private members bills can be tough to pass but Bill C-301 might be different. Breitkreuz was given a standing ovation by his Conservative colleagues and he noted even some opposition members were applauding.

Given that this is a minority Parliament, Bill C-301 will need some opposition votes. Fortunately there are enough opposition MPs who represent hunting and trapping constituencies who should support Bill C-301. The other issue is whether opposition party leaders will allow a free vote, instead of forcing all MPs to toe the party line. I was informed by a spokesperson from Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff's office that there is a tradition of free votes for private members bills, so we can be hopeful.

Breitkreuz concedes there is still a lot of work to do to drum up the necessary support in Parliament but he is optimistic. And I think that he, and the entire sustainable use community, have reason to be.

rsopuck@deltawaterfowl.org