NOTE:
This article also appeared in the Edmonton Sun and the Calgary Sun.
PUBLICATION:
The
Toronto Sun
DATE:
2003.10.31
EDITION: Final
SECTION:
News
PAGE:
37
BYLINE:
MARIA MCCLINTOCK, OTTAWA BUREAU
DATELINE:
OTTAWA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MP
PANEL: REVEAL ALL GUN COSTS REGISTRY ACCOUNTING
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A
list of all costs linked to the federal government's gun control program should
be made public in a detailed report by the end of the year, an influential
Commons committee has recommended.
In
its report on the firearms program, made public yesterday, the public accounts
committee also demands that if information is missing, the solicitor general
explain why.
"I
would hope that since the Parliament of Canada has asked for (a report), and
because the auditor general gave up a year ago, saying, 'I can't find all the
numbers,' that the government would make a legitimate attempt," Alliance MP
and committee chairman John Williams said.
14
RECOMMENDATIONS
The
report makes 14 recommendations to try to find out the costs of the program.
The
report points out that 70% of the program's funding has come from supplemental
estimates -- meaning money above and beyond cash already budgeted.
Solicitor
General Wayne Easter insisted yesterday his department has been transparent in
its running of the gun registry since taking it over in April.
------------------------------------------------------------
THEN
WHY WON'T MR. EASTER ANSWER CANADIAN ALLIANCE QUESTIONS:
"I ask the minister who is in charge of this mess for the umpteenth
time: How much will it cost to fully implement the gun registry and how much
will it cost to maintain it?"
http://www.cssa-cila.org/garryb/questions/sept-19-2003.htm
----------------------------------------------------
STANDING
COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ACCOUNTS - OCTOBER 30, 2003
Report
24, Chapter 10 (Department of Justice - Costs of Implementing the Canadian
Firearms Program) of the December 2002 Report of the Auditor General of Canada
http://www.parl.gc.ca/infocom/PubDocument.asp?FileID=64685&Language=E
COMITÉ
PERMANENT DES COMPTES PUBLICS - 30 OCTOBRE 2003
Rapport
24, Chapitre 10 (Ministère de la Justice - Les coûts liés à la mise en
oeuvre du Programme canadien des armes à feu) du rapport de la vérificatrice générale
du Canada de décembre 2002
http://www.parl.gc.ca/infocom/PubDocument.asp?FileID=64686&Language=F