PUBLICATION:        The Winnipeg Sun 

DATE:                         2004.01.08

EDITION:                    Final 

SECTION:                  News 

PAGE:                         7 

BYLINE:                     KATIE CHALMERS, STAFF REPORTER 

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SCRAP GUN LIST: FOES

LONG-GUN REGISTRY REVIEW SPARKS CALLS FOR NEW POLICY

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Manitoba's justice minister and local gun owners say a review of the fire arm registry by the Martin government should lead to the abandonment of the botched system. The national registry will likely be altered significantly in a move that would appeal to Western Canada, the Globe and Mail reported yesterday.

Justice Minister Gord Mackintosh said a review can't simply be a tool to "neutralize the issue" but has to go further and squash the entire scheme. "We're very very pleased there are now finally second thoughts at the political level in the federal government of this ill-conceived registry," Mackintosh said. "Nothing short of shutting down the registry before the next federal election should suffice. The significance of the review will only be demonstrated when there's an announcement that the registry is being scrapped."

Among the changes being considered, sources told The Globe, is reallocation of resources used to finance the registry to beef up areas such as policing or security at borders where illegal guns make their way into Canada.

'OPTIMISTICALLY PESSIMISTIC'

However, a senior government official told The Globe the review is not expected to recommend killing the registry.

Manitoba gun owner Larry Neufeld said he's "optimistically pessimistic" there will be a change for the better.

"So far, we have heard nothing tangible," Neufeld told The Sun. "Paul Martin is rallying for support in the West, and right now we have not seen any tangible evidence."

Terry Robinson, general manager of sporting goods store S.I.R., said he hopes the present government can at least take an objective look a the $1-billion registry. "They'd have to realize it's not working as they had in their original vision," Robinson said. "To continue to throw money at it just because they made a commitment eight years ago is wrong."

Mackintosh said resources would be better spent fighting the exploitation of children. It's unfortunate the feds have devised a registry to list law-abiding hunters and farmers but have not been committed to a strong sexual- offender registry to track convicted pedophiles, he said.

Martin was busy yesterday announcing a new session of Parliament.

Martin promises an "ambitious" program when MPs return for a speech from the throne on Feb. 2, a week ahead of his original schedule.