PUBLICATION:              Calgary Herald

DATE:                         2004.05.14

EDITION:                    Final

SECTION:                  Opinion

PAGE:                         A16

SOURCE:                   Calgary Herald

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Calling the minister

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Kudos to Oscar Lacombe, who sought arrest under the iniquitous Firearms Act to test it. Sadly, he was convicted under the Canadian Criminal Code instead, forestalling a Charter challenge of the act. Perhaps it was inevitable; as a matter of policy, the Alberta government won't prosecute under the act. Lacombe will have to find less friendly territory, if he wishes to take it further.

Or, the government could just endorse the recommendations of Associate Defence Minister Albina Guarnieri's report on the firearms registry, which recommends what Lacombe wanted: decriminalization of registry offences.

Long guns are not favoured by criminals. The registry's flaw was always to lump law-abiding rifle-owners with society's low-lifes. As minister responsible, Anne McLellan should advance the administration of justice with a statement that she supports this sensible plan. Or, tell Canadians she thinks legal gun-owners are potential criminals.