PUBLICATION: The Toronto Sun
DATE:
2004.05.27
EDITION:
Final
SECTION:
Sports
PAGE:
107
BYLINE:
JOHN KERR, OUTDOORS WRITER
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TIME
TO SCRAP GUN REGISTRY
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IT
SEEMS that every time I leave Ontario things happen on the political scene that
affect anglers or hunters. Last week was no exception.
Just
as I settled into Campbell River, B.C., for the annual Outdoor Writers of Canada
Conference, the Liberals announced window-dressing changes to the firearms
registry. The smell of an election call grew stronger and was reality within
days.
Among
many scandals, the Liberals have been in damage control over the billion-dollar
registry, which has done little to curb serious crimes involving firearms.
It
has, however, cost hunters and other legitimate gun owners time and money, and
branded them as potential criminals. Twice during the 1990s they marched on
Parliament Hill to protest the draconian firearms laws introduced by the
reigning Liberals in 1995. It was all for naught.
Since
then, however, as costs escalated, support for the long-gun registry part of the
legislation has dwindled among Canadians.
A survey by JMCK Polling of Calgary, released
last week by MP Gary Breitkreuz, deputy house leader and official justice critic
for firearms, revealing that 76.7% of Canadians now agree that the gun registry
should be scrapped.
The
Liberals under Paul Martin saw the writing on the wall earlier this year,
though, and sent Albina Guarineri, associate minister of defence, travelling
across the country to talk to firearm-user groups on how to improve our gun laws
and ease their anger at the legislation, just in time for an election.
I
listened to her promise at this winter's Ontario Federation of Anglers and
Hunters annual conference that there would be major changes, perhaps even
decriminalizing the failure to register a firearm. She seemed sincere, and I
believe she was.
In
the end, though, last-minute pressure by backbench MPs and lobby groups, no
doubt including the Coalition for Gun Control, forced the government into making
only minor changes.
A
bit of money is being thrown at worthwhile initiatives to curb the illegal use
of guns, but the long-gun registry remains in the Criminal Code.
The
government also says it will cap the annual cost of the registry at $25 million.
Trying
to garner a few more rural votes, it threw a few crumbs at hunters, target
shooters and gun collectors. Fees for registering or transferring firearms will
be eliminated.
Has
this appeased legitimate firearm owners? Not anyone I've talked to. I doubt the
Liberals will gain even one vote by this exercise, but they stand to lose a lot,
as the general drop in support for the registry shows.
"The
registry system is broken, does nothing to enhance public safety and no amount
of cosmetic surgery by the government will fix it," OFAH executive director
Mike Reader said.
The
Conservatives are the only party that has vowed to scrap the registry if it
forms the next government.
In
reality, though, no matter which party wins the election, it still will be
saddled with a costly gun-control package and a bureaucracy to run it. The
licensing component, generally supported by gun owners but in need of changes,
too, will still be there, even if the registry is scrapped.
And
firearms owners will likely continue paying for it through licences, even if
registration and transfer fees are dropped. Ask all your local candidates for
their stances on this issue and then vote wisely, or expect to pay a lot more
the next time you renew your firearms licence.
On a closing note, Cast Out, the extreme fishing show I mentioned a few weeks ago, will debut June 5, 9 p.m. only on CTV Travel, not on the Discovery Channel, too.