REBUTTAL TO THE GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE

TO ORDER PAPER QUESTIONS Q49, Q50, Q88, & Q89

By Garry Breitkreuz, MP – January 28, 2003

37^th Parliament, 2^nd Session

Edited Hansard • Number 046

Monday, January 27, 2003

[Hansard – Page 2726] 

Question No. 49--

Mr. Garry Breitkreuz:

    With respect to statements made by the Minister of Justice in the House of Commons on February 16, 1995 (Hansard, pp. 9707-9709), how has universal gun registration: (a) reduced the number of deaths due to domestic violence; (b) reduced the number of suicides; (c) reduced the number of firearms accidents; (d) reduced the number of guns smuggled into Canada; (e) reduced the number of guns stolen; (f) reduced the number of guns traded on the black market; (g) reduced the number of legally imported guns that are sold illegally; (h) reduced the illegal acquisition and smuggling of ammunition; (i) improved compliance with safe storage laws; (j) increased the number of firearms seized as a result of enforcement of firearms prohibition orders; (k) improved the likelihood that the police will know where all the guns are; (l) affected the percentage of police who are in favour of universal firearms registration; (m) improved the accuracy of statistics regarding the number of guns and gun owners; and (n) been justified by the costs when compared to the benefits?

Hon. Martin Cauchon (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.):

QUESTION: How has universal gun registration: (a) reduced the number of deaths due to domestic violence?

MINISTER’S RESPONSE: (a) According to Statistics Canada, firearms were the most frequently used weapon in the commission of spousal homicides between 1974 and 2000, accounting for the death of 37% of victims. (Source: Family Violence in Canada: a Statistical Profile 2002--Table 1.8).  Most domestic shootings involved long guns such as rifles and shotguns. In 1998, 63% of spousal firearm homicides were committed with shotguns or rifles. A further 21% used sawed-off shotguns or rifles. Only 16% used handguns. (Source: Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile 2000. Statistics Canada: Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. July 2000)

BREITKREUZ’S REBUTTAL:  The Minister never answered the question!  The Minister failed to tell Parliament how many lives have been saved by “universal gun registration”.  In fact, he provides statistics that prove the opposite.  If registration of firearms was going to reduce spousal homicides, then 68 years of registering handguns would have saved the 16% of the spouses murdered in 1998 with a handgun.  If outright prohibition of firearms was the answer to the tragedy of spousal homicides, then it should have saved the 21% of spouses that were murdered in 1998 with a sawed-off rifle or shotgun.  The sad fact is that domestic violence and spousal homicide is not a problem that can be solved by registering the weapons used in these tragic events.  The government’s priority should be directed to addressing the root causes of family violence such as investing money in family counselling, women’s shelters and community support programs.  The Minister is still keeping Parliament in the dark.

QUESTION: How has universal gun registration: (b) reduced the number of suicides?

MINISTER’S RESPONSE: (b) The rate of suicide deaths involving firearms has been steadily decreasing. In 1999, the percentage of suicides involving a firearm was 19%, from 43.7% in 1970. (Source: Statistics Canada: Causes of Death).

BREITKREUZ’S REBUTTAL:  The Minister never answered the question.  The Minister failed to tell Parliament how many lives have been saved by “universal gun registration”.  Statistics Canada Causes of Death reports from 1991 to 1999 show that the total number of suicide deaths has been increasing.  While it’s true that between 1991 and 1999, 303 fewer people shot themselves to death, the sad fact is that suicides by hanging increased by 721.  The millions wasted on universal gun registration would be much better spent targeting the root causes of suicide.  The Minister is still keeping Parliament in the dark.

QUESTION: How has universal gun registration: (c) reduced the number of firearms accidents?

MINISTER’S RESPONSE: (c) The rate of firearms accidents has also been declining from 129 in 1970 to 31 in 1999. (Source: Statistics Canada: Causes of Death).

BREITKREUZ’S REBUTTAL:  The Minister never answered the question.  The Minister failed to tell Parliament how many lives have been saved by “universal gun registration”.  The fact is that the death rate due to firearms accidents has been falling steadily since the provinces introduced hunter safety training programs in the early 1960s.  The government never started registering long guns until December 1, 1998, so the Minister is taking credit for results that happened before “universal gun registration” even commenced.  The Minister is not only keeping Parliament in the dark, he is misleading us.

MINISTER’S RESPONSE to (c) “firearms accidents” (continued): Overall, Canada’s homicide rate is at its lowest since 1967 and homicide committed with rifles and shotguns is steadily decreasing. The rate of robberies committed with a firearm has also declined by 62% since 1991, after consistently dropping over the past decade. (Source: Crime Statistics in Canada, 2001, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics).

BREITKREUZ’S REBUTTAL:  Once again, the Minister is taking credit for results achieved well prior to when the government started registering long guns on December 1, 1998.  And, once again, the Minister is only telling half the story.  Despite 68 years of mandatory registration of handguns, Statistics Canada annual homicide reports have shown a steady increase in firearms homicides committed with handguns from 27% in 1974 to 64% in 2001.  Between 1997 and 2001, 74% of the handguns recovered from the scenes of 143 homicides were not registered.  Conversely, these same Statistics Canada reports show that firearms homicides with long guns dropped from 64% in 1974 to 27% in 2001 – with the biggest drop occurring in the years before “universal gun registration” even commenced.  Statistics Canada robbery statistics for the year 2000 show 14% of armed robberies committed with handguns and just 1% committed with long guns.  If registration of firearms was an effective policy for reducing firearms crimes, these statistics should be reversed.  The Minister is still keeping Parliament in the dark.

QUESTION: How has universal gun registration: (d) reduced the number of guns smuggled into Canada?

MINISTER’S RESPONSE: (d) Regarding firearms trafficking and firearms smuggling, provisions in the Criminal Code and Firearms Act establish increased controls over firearms imports and exports, and impose penalties for smuggling and trafficking.

BREITKREUZ’S REBUTTAL:  The Minister never answered the question.  The Minister failed to tell Parliament how many fewer guns were smuggled into Canada as a result of “universal gun registration”.  Here’s what Ontario Public Security Minister, Bob Runciman, said last week, "In the context of spending $1-billion, or who knows how much, on registering Canadian farmers with shotguns, here we have a real problem which could be changed really quickly through an agreement with the United States. But the federal government has been silent about it, let alone doing anything about it." – National Post, Page A7, January 24, 2003.  The Minister is still keeping Parliament in the dark.

QUESTION: How has universal gun registration: (e) reduced the number of guns stolen?

MINISTER’S RESPONSE: (e) The number of lost or missing firearms has declined by 68% from 1998 to 2001 and the number of stolen firearms has also decreased by 35% over the same period. (Source: 2001 Registrar’s Report to the Solicitor General on the Administration of the Firearms Act).

BREITKREUZ’S REBUTTAL:  According to the Justice Department’s own Senior Statistician, Kwing Hung, the number of stolen firearms reported to police has been declining steadily since 1994, long before the government started registering long guns on December 1, 1998.  The Minister failed to elaborate on how much of this supposed decline was due to an increasing phenomenon in Canada of frustrated citizens refusing to report property crimes to the police.  Professor Gary Mauser of Simon Fraser University adds: “This may be due to reluctance of citizens to cooperate with an increasingly unsympathetic government bureaucracy.”  Mr. Dave Tomlinson, Past-President of the National Firearms Association and an expert witness in hundreds of firearms cases, provides a key reason for non-reporting of stolen firearms: “The current firearms control system has systematically prosecuted anyone who reports a lost or stolen firearm, regardless of circumstances, in far too many situations.  The system has broken or damaged police-citizen communication and cooperation, and that effect is still increasing.”  The Minister is still keeping Parliament in the dark.

QUESTION: How has universal gun registration: (f) reduced the number of guns traded on the black market?

MINISTER’S RESPONSE: (f) The national weapons enforcement support team (NWEST), set up by the Department of Justice, is a unit of highly trained and experienced individuals who work in a support role with local law enforcement to assist in anti-trafficking and anti-smuggling efforts. The team also helps the police community in dealing with issues of violence with firearms.  Over the past year NWEST has provided support to over 2000 police files dealing with weapons, playing a key role in improving public safety and proving highly successful in helping police fight firearm related crime.

BREITKREUZ’S REBUTTAL:  The Minister never answered the question.  The Minister failed to tell Parliament how many fewer guns found their way to the black market as a result of “universal gun registration”.  In 1995, Justice Minister Allan Rock promised Parliament results and Justice Minister Cauchon fails to report any concrete positive results.  In fact, the evidence is to the contrary.  The Minister’s own User Group on Firearms warned that fear of prosecution and confiscation are actually driving guns into the black market.  The Minister is still keeping Parliament in the dark.

QUESTION: How has universal gun registration: (g) reduced the number of legally imported guns that are sold illegally?

MINISTER’S RESPONSE: (g) NWEST has established links to a number of international law enforcement agencies, in particular the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). Cooperation between the ATF and NWEST is important, as many of the firearms entering Canada, whether legally or illegally, originate in the United States.

BREITKREUZ’S REBUTTAL:  The Minister never answered the question.  The Minister failed to tell Parliament how many legally imported guns were sold illegally in Canada and how this number has been reduced as a result of “universal gun registration”.  In 1995, Justice Minister Allan Rock promised Parliament results, and Justice Minister Cauchon fails to report any concrete results.  The Minister is still keeping Parliament in the dark.

QUESTION: How has universal gun registration: (h) reduced the illegal acquisition and smuggling of ammunition?

MINISTER’S RESPONSE: (h) Under the Firearms Act, as of January 1, 2001, an individual must produce a valid firearms licence or FAC, or a confirmed non-resident declaration to acquire ammunition.

BREITKREUZ’S REBUTTAL:  The Minister never answered the question.  The Minister failed to provide Parliament with any statistics proving that this measure had any effect on the illegal acquisition and smuggling of ammunition.  In the very least, the Minister should tell us how many people were charged with these offences since the law came into effect.  Obviously, the hundreds of millions wasted on universal gun registration would have been better spent securing our borders, improving police checks and patrols so that all contraband and criminals can be stopped at the border.  Targeting organized crime and street gangs that are doing the trafficking of smuggled goods and people instead of Uncle George’s legal shotgun would have made much more sense.  Unfortunately, Parliament never got a chance to discuss alternative police measures before they rammed the universal gun registry through Parliament.  The Minister is still keeping Parliament in the dark and is still not giving Parliamentarians or Canadians a chance to make a real choice.

QUESTION: How has universal gun registration: (i) improved compliance with safe storage laws?

MINISTER’S RESPONSE: (i) The firearms program contributes to the reduction of crime, has a demonstrable effect in screening firearm owners to better insure safety, and requires safety training for those enjoying firearm sports. The government is focusing on a wide variety of crime reduction initiatives including efforts to better address organized crime, youth offenders, crime prevention, and gun control. The money spent on gun control contributes, with other crime control measures, to the overall safety of Canadian communities.

BREITKREUZ’S REBUTTAL:  The Minister never answered the question.  The Minister failed to provide Parliament with statistics showing how “universal gun registration” has improved compliance with safe storage laws.  To make matters worse, the Minister is even withdrawing funds for the delivery of firearms safety training courses in some provinces.  The government would get much further using the cooperative approach with law-abiding firearms owners to improve compliance with the safe storage laws instead of using the big club of the Criminal Code.  The Minister is still keeping Parliament in the dark.

QUESTION: How has universal gun registration: (j) increased the number of firearms seized as a result of enforcement of firearms prohibition orders?

MINISTER’S RESPONSE: (j) The Canadian firearms centre is not an enforcement agency and does not collect data regarding firearm seizures. The courts are required to forward copies of all prohibition orders to the chief firearms officer in their jurisdiction in order for the CFO to take appropriate action where a firearms licence is involved. Neither the CFO nor the registrar are involved in firearms seizures.

BREITKREUZ’S REBUTTAL:  The Minister never answered the question.  He just provided excuses for not knowing the answer.  This was one of the most important reasons for “universal gun registration” cited by Justice Minister Allan Rock.  Now, the current Justice Minister can’t tell Parliament if the gun registry had any effect whatsoever on the number of guns seized from these persons who have been declared by the courts too dangerous to have firearms.  Parliament and the public should also have been advised that the 131,000 persons prohibited from owning firearms don’t have to report their change of address to police or open their doors to police for firearms “inspections”.  Only completely innocent firearms owners have to do that or face up to two years in jail.  Where’s the justice in that?  The Minister is still keeping Parliament in the dark.

QUESTION: How has universal gun registration: (k) improved the likelihood that the police will know where all the guns are?

MINISTER’S RESPONSE: (k) The Canadian firearms registry on-line (CFRO) is a database that provides law enforcement with specific information on firearms, helps police evaluate potential threats to public safety and remove firearms from a location as a preventive measure. Law enforcement communities have consulted this system more than two million times since December 1, 1998. CFRO helps the police assess public safety threats and complete investigations.

BREITKREUZ’S REBUTTAL:  Once again, the Minister tells Parliament what’s happening but not the results achieved.  Nor does he provide any information that clearly demonstrates the reasons why the gun registry will never be able to tell police where all the guns are such as:

(1) Police will not know where the guns are because the government does not require the 131,000 most dangerous

      persons who are already prohibited from owning firearms to report their change of address to police.

(2) Police will not know where the guns are because there is no legal requirement for gun owners to store their

      registered firearms at their home addresses or tell the government where they are stored.

(3) Police will not know where the guns are because the government does not keep track of registered firearms that are loaned between licenced firearms owners.

(4) Police will not know where the guns are because between half-a-million and 1.3 million gun owners failed or

      refused to obtain a firearms licence and can’t register their guns without one.

(5) Police will not know where the guns are because the government has lost track of at least 300,000 guns in the

      old handgun registration system.

(6) Police will not know where the guns are because the government still has to register between 2 and 10 million

     guns.

(7) Even if police do find the guns, there are so few identifying characteristics on the registration certificates that it is impossible to verify that it is the firearm registered in the system.  For example, 6 million registration certificates have been issued without the owner’s name.  In August of 2002, 78% of the Firearms Registration Certificates had blank and unknown entries.  More than 800,000 firearms registration certificates don’t have serial numbers.  On January 23, 2003, the RCMP reported that only 1,081,586 firearms in the system had been “verified.” 

The Minister is still keeping Parliament in the dark.

QUESTION: How has universal gun registration: (l) affected the percentage of police who are in favour of universal firearms registration?

MINISTER’S RESPONSE: (l) On December 3, 2002, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police re-affirmed its support for the firearms program and its essential crime-fighting tools. Law enforcement is clearly relying on the information contained in CFRO. Since December 1, 1998, it has queried this system over two million times in conducting police work. This shows that police officers are indeed accessing the database in order to forward their investigations.

BREITKREUZ’S REBUTTAL:  The Minister never answered the question.  The Minister failed to report to Parliament the results of every poll taken of front-line police officers.  Every poll ever taken of police officers on the street shows overwhelming opposition to the gun registry (e.g. 76% of the members of the Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers).  The Minister reports the number of times law enforcement officials are accessing the CFRO, but his own officials admit they don’t know why, what information they are requesting and how successful their requests are.  Only the Justice Minister thinks police “rely” on the gun registry.  Winkler Police Chief Rick Hiebert said: “A police officer responding to a call can never count on a computer record as to what John Doe has or does not have at his disposal.” – Winnipeg Free Press, January 6, 2003.  The Minister is still keeping Parliament in the dark.

QUESTION: How has universal gun registration: (m) improved the accuracy of statistics regarding the number of guns and gun owners?

MINISTER’S RESPONSE: (m) As part of the firearms program, there are now 1.9 million licensed firearm owners and over 5.9 million firearms have been registered. The vast majority of these are non-restricted firearms such as rifles and shotguns, which were difficult for authorities to trace under the old system because they were not registered.  The Canadian firearms program has taken many steps over the years to assure the quality of the information in its database on firearm owners and guns. The accuracy rate in the database today is over 90%, making this a most valuable tool for law enforcement.  The Canadian firearms program requires sufficiently accurate information from clients to help make a determination on the eligibility for their licence and to classify and uniquely identify their firearm. This information includes information about the applicants, such as their address and type of safety training, as well as particulars of each firearm they intend to register.  Information on applications that does not properly identity or describe an individual or does not uniquely identify and classify a firearm is considered an error by the program. Such errors represent less than 1% of all data in the licence and registration data recorded in the Canadian firearms registration system. Any errors in the database are identified and addressed on an ongoing basis through quality assurance audits.

BREITKREUZ’S REBUTTAL:  The Minister never answered the question.  The Minister tells Parliament how many firearms owners are licenced and how many firearms are registered in the system, but nothing about the total number of guns and gun owners in Canada.  If Parliament is going to get a handle on the total cost to fully implement the gun registry then the government has to have a more realistic estimate of the total number of guns left to register and the total number of gun owners who don’t have a firearms licence and are unable to register their firearms.  Here are three important facts that the Minister failed to explain in his response:

(1) In May, 1976, Justice Minister Ron Basford made the following statement on page 41 in his Peace and Security paper: “At the same time, there has been a steady increase in the number of firearms in Canada.  Estimates place the number at over ten million in 1974, with almost one-quarter million added to the stock every year.  Most of these firearms are long guns (rifles and shotguns)”. 

(2) “Ottawa's estimate of Quebec gun owners off by 230,000: MP: Firearms may total twice what officials think. Criminology professor says 6 million to 9 million guns remain unregistered across the country”- Montreal Gazette, January 25, 2003. 

(3) “One of Canada's leading experts on gun control says there are hundreds of thousands more gun owners in this country than Ottawa is willing to admit. Gary Mauser, a criminologist at Simon Fraser University, says the number of owners in a new survey – 2.3 million – is about 400,000 too low.” – CBC, January 26, 2001.

Since 1995, the Ministers of Justice have failed to explain the discrepancy between the government’s 1974 estimates and their current estimates of the number of guns and gun owners. 

(4) The Minister claims an “accuracy rate of the database today is over 90%” while

the Auditor General reported the exact opposite on December 3, 2002. 

(5) The RCMP reported to my office on January 23, 2003, that only one million of the six million guns registered in the universal gun registry have been “verified”.  So much for the Minister’s “accuracy rate”.

Any responsible and accountable Minister answering this question would have to compare the costs and benefits of the universal registration system to the costs and benefits of alternative strategies to improve public safety – like increasing the number of police in our communities.  The Minister is still keeping Parliament in the dark.

QUESTION: How has universal gun registration: (n) been justified by the costs when compared to the benefits?

MINISTER’S RESPONSE: (n) This program is a national investment in public safety. Over the first seven years of operation (including the 2001-02 fiscal year) approximately $688 million has been spent on this program.  This program is much more than a firearms registry. With this investment come the public safety benefits of a licensing system that helps keep firearms from those who should not have them.  Since December 1, 1998, over 9,000 firearms licences have been refused or revoked by public safety officials. As a result of an enhanced screening process, there were 70 times more firearms licences revoked than the total for the previous five years under the old system. Since December 1, 1998, there are also checks on buyers, sellers, as well as gun tracing checks for every gun sale in the country.  It should also be noted that the Canadian firearms program yields significant savings for police services. As part of this program police are no longer burdened with the paperwork and administration involved in accepting firearms applications because these are now mailed to a processing site. This frees up significant police time and resources that can be redirected to investigations and policing.

37^th Parliament, 2^nd Session

Edited Hansard • Number 046

Monday, January 27, 2003

[Hansard – Page 2728]

Question No. 50--

Mr. Garry Breitkreuz:

    With respect to the Department of Justice 2002-2003 Estimates, Part III--Reports on Plans and Priorities, Firearms Control Program, Long-Term Benefits, what are the “Measures of success” for the: (a) number of suspended/refused licences; (b) percentage of firearms owners complying with registration; (c) ease of registration process; (d) number of registered firearms; (e) percentage of public support for the program; and (f) documented reduction in the number of firearm accidents (long-term result)?

Hon. Martin Cauchon (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.):

QUESTION: What are the “Measures of success” for (a) number of suspended/refused licences?

MINISTER’S RESPONSE: (a) Number of refused or revoked from December 1, 1998 to December 11, 2002.

    Applications refused:

    Licences Revoked

BREITKREUZ’S REBUTTAL:  The Minister failed to explain in his answer that the refusal and revocation of thousands of firearms licences could have been achieved without “universal gun registration.”  All that was needed was a more effective licencing system for firearms users.   The Justice Minister also failed to point out that the Justice Department’s own statistics show that the rate of firearm licence refusal was far better under the RCMP’s old Firearm Acquisition Certificate program.  The other important fact that the Minister failed to mention is that the government doesn’t even follow-up on these 9,176 licence refusals and revocations to ensure that the firearms have been removed from these potentially dangerous individuals.  The Minister is still keeping Parliament in the dark.

QUESTION: What are the “Measures of success” for (b) percentage of firearms owners complying with registration?

MINISTER’S RESPONSE: (b) As of January 4, 2003, 74p. 100 of licensed firearms owners have acted to comply with registration.

BREITKREUZ’S REBUTTAL:  The Minister failed to answer the question.  The Measures of Success from his own Estimates document states: “the percentage of firearms owners complying with registration” NOT the percentage of licenced firearms owners complying with registration.  The Minister knows that many hundreds of thousands of firearms owner failed to obtain a firearms licence and cannot register their guns without one.  The Minister’s poorly drafted legislation and poorly administered program make the stated program objective unattainable.  The Minister is still keeping Parliament in the dark.

QUESTION: What are the “Measures of success” for (c) ease of registration process?

MINISTER’S RESPONSE: (c) It is possible to submit a firearms registration application only by paper registration form at this time, however, the CFC is looking at new on-line services to be provided in the near future.

BREITKREUZ’S REBUTTAL:  The Minister failed to answer the question.  In the last three months, my own office has received hundreds of complaints about how it was almost impossible to register their firearms.  The Minister has failed to meet his own stated “measure of success” and the Minister is still keeping Parliament in the dark.

QUESTION: What are the “Measures of success” for (d) number of registered firearms?

MINISTER’S RESPONSE: (d) 5,893,447 firearms have been registered as of January 4, 2003.

BREITKREUZ’S REBUTTAL:  Finally, a question the Minister answered accurately.  The problem with this statistic is that the “measure of success” itself is poorly worded.  To be a true “measure of success” the number of firearms registered has to be compared with the total number of firearms in Canada – 7.9 million according to the government or 16.5 million according to 1974 government estimates and firearm import and export records.   The Minister is still keeping Parliament in the dark.

QUESTION: What are the “Measures of success” for (e) percentage of public support for the program?

MINISTER’S RESPONSE: (e) Polling released by Gallup Canada on November 27, 2001, reveals that 76p. 100 of Canadians, a majority in every region of Canada, favour “the requirement that by law all firearms in Canada need to be registered with the federal government”. The result is very consistent with other polling in that and prior years.

BREITKREUZ’S REBUTTAL:  The Minister failed to provide the most current public opinion poll results available.  On December 14, 2002, the Globe and Mail/CTV/Ipsos-Reid poll reported: “Nationally, 53 per cent of respondents said the registry should be scrapped, while 43 per cent agreed it has saved lives and should be maintained.”  On January 16, 2003, the National Post reported: “Sixty-five per cent of 500 people polled from Jan. 6-10 agreed strongly or somewhat the registry should be abolished.  Twenty-seven per cent disagreed, with 9% undecided.”  More and more Canadians will want the gun registry scrapped as they learn that it is impossible to save lives by placing a piece of paper beside a gun and that criminals don’t register their guns.  The Minister is still keeping Parliament in the dark.

QUESTION: What are the “Measures of success” for (f) documented reduction in the number of firearm accidents (long-term result)?

MINISTER’S RESPONSE: (f) The rate of firearms accidents has declined from 129 in 1970 to 31 in 1999. (Source: Statistics Canada: Causes of Death). Registration links a firearm to its rightful owner. It works to enhance accountability for one’s firearms, for example, by encouraging safe storage, which helps reduce gun theft and accidents.

37^th Parliament, 2^nd Session

Edited Hansard • Number 046

Monday, January 27, 2003

[Hansard – Page 2732]

Question No. 88--

Mr. Garry Breitkreuz:

    With respect to statements made by David Austin, a spokesman for the Canadian Firearms Centre, quoted in the November 17, 2002, edition of the Calgary Sun, what evidence does the government have to show that “the new law is working well to reduce crime, safeguard citizens from shooting deaths and help law enforcement keep track of arms movement.”?

Hon. Martin Cauchon (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.):

MINISTER’S RESPONSE: The Canadian firearms program is far from being just a registry of firearms. It is an investment in the improvement of public safety through a secure licensing system that prevents people who should not have a firearm, such as individuals with a history of violence, from acquiring firearms. Law-abiding citizens will not be penalized by this program.

    Since December 1, 1998, more than 9,000 firearm licences have been refused or revoked by public safety officers. Furthermore, due to the strengthening of verifications, there are now 70 times more licences being revoked than in the last five years of the previous plan as a result of a more solid and efficient system that allows continuous verification of licence holders. Buyers and sellers are also under scrutiny and each sale of a firearm in the country is subjected to a screening process. This clearly helps in keeping persons who should not have a firearm from acquiring one.

    The ongoing verification of eligibility is being done through the Canadian firearms registration system, which allows us to ensure that licence holders are continually complying with the requirements of Section 5 of the Firearms Act.

    Through the firearms program we are able to help in the reduction of criminal activity and to efficiently monitor licence holders for security purposes. This program also makes it mandatory for new applicants to obtain training in the handling of firearms.

    Additionally, millions of firearms have already been registered, especially rifles and shotguns. It was difficult for authorities to trace these firearms under the previous plan. Registration is the link between a firearm and its rightful owner. It strengthens an owner’s accountability for his/her firearms and encourages safe storage of firearms, which reduces the number of accidents and thefts.

    Registration of firearms also assists police in their investigations by enabling them to trace firearms to their owners. The issuance of a licence and the registration of a firearm go hand in hand. These two activities help to control access to firearms and to discourage their misuse.

    The program is also helping to reduce lost firearms. The number of lost firearms was reduced by 68% between 1997 and 2001, while the number of stolen firearms was diminished by 35% during that same period. (Reference: 2001 Report of the Registrar of the Canadian Firearms Registry on the Administration of the Firearms Act.)

    The national weapons enforcement support team (NWEST) implemented by the Department of Justice in January, 2001, is comprised of trained and experienced individuals who help local agencies to enforce the law in the matter of firearms trafficking and smuggling. NWEST also helps the police in the processing of violence records pertaining to firearms. New provisions of the Criminal Code and the Firearms Act establish increased controls over firearm imports and exports and impose penalties for smuggling and trafficking.

    On December 3, 2002, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police reiterated its support for the firearms program and its essential tools for crime control. These tools include the Canadian firearms registry online (CFRO), which helps the police to assess public safety potential threats and to remove, if need be, firearms as a preventive measure. The usefulness of the CFRO is undeniable. Law enforcement communities have consulted this system more than two million times since December 1, 1998. These figures show that police officers frequently refer to CFRO to complete their investigations.

    The Canadian firearms program ensures that Canadian communities and homes are safe and secure.

37^th Parliament, 2^nd Session

Edited Hansard • Number 046

Monday, January 27, 2003

[Hansard – Page 2733]

Question No. 89--

Mr. Garry Breitkreuz:

    With respect to the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada Annual Report on Organized Crime in Canada for 2002, in the current and past years: (a) how many illicit firearms have organized crime groups stolen or obtained by other means from the police and the military; and (b) how many legally registered firearms have organized crime groups accessed because they have breached the Restricted Weapon Registration System and/or the Canadian Firearms Registry?

Hon. Wayne Easter (Solicitor General of Canada, Lib.):

    The Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (CISC) annual report on organized crime in Canada for 2002 does not refer specifically to: how many illicit firearms organized crime groups have stolen or obtained by other means from the police and the military; nor how many legally registered firearms organized crime groups have accessed because they have breached the restricted weapon registration system and/or the Canadian firearms registry.

BREITKREUZ’S REBUTTAL:  If it’s possible, the Solicitor General is even more obtuse in his answer than the Minister of Justice.  He answered the question by telling Parliament that they don’t have an answer to the question.  The fact is there are documents in the RCMP’s hands that document the number of firearms stolen from police and the military. 

For example, on July 4, 2002, the RCMP provided documents with CPIC (Canadian Police Information Centre) lists showing 270 firearms reported lost, 137 firearms reported stolen from the Canadian Forces since 1962 and only 3 firearms recovered since 1994.  The list of firearms lost or stolen include: 218 Lee Enfield Rifles, 17 Browning 9mm pistols, an FN Browning .50 calibre Heavy Machine Gun, an AK47, an FN Browning Canadian C9 Service Light Machine Gun 5.56mm, a Colt AR15A2 .223 calibre and many more [RCMP File: 01ATIP-3631]. 

On November 16, 2001, The Edmonton Sun reported the theft of a shipment of 150 to 200 Glock handguns en route to the Edmonton Police Service. 

With this information at their fingertips why is the Criminal Intelligence Service of Canada not reporting stolen police and military firearms as a source of firearms for organized crime groups?  And why didn’t the Solicitor General correct this oversight for Parliament in his answer to this question?  Why is this government keeping Parliament in the dark?