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Edited Hansard • Number 067
Tuesday, February 25, 2003
[Hansard – Page 3985]
Mr. Garry Breitkreuz (Yorkton—Melville, Canadian Alliance): Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Auditor General stated that the firearms program is a major crown project that requires more stringent Treasury Board reporting policies. The Auditor General also stated that the gun registry should have its own business line in the main estimates.
The deputy minister of justice disagreed, so the cover-up continues. Who is right, the Auditor General or the deputy minister?
(1450)
Hon. Lucienne Robillard (President of the Treasury Board, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, according to my information the program was not formally designed as a major crown project.
Mr. Garry Breitkreuz (Yorkton—Melville, Canadian Alliance): Mr. Speaker, the justice minister displayed no ability to explain anything at the committee meeting yesterday. The gun registry goes 500 times over budget and his answers are all of the Forrest Gump variety, “It just happened”.
It has been almost three months and the justice minister still has not told the House what the total costs of the gun registry have been for all departments and agencies, including all the unreported costs itemized in the Auditor General's report.
If the minister cannot give us the total cost of the gun registry so far, how can we possibly trust him on the future cost projections?
Some hon. members: Oh, oh.
The Speaker: Order, please. The hon. member for Yorkton--Melville has put a question and his colleagues must want to hear the answer. The hon. Minister of Justice has the floor. If they did not want to hear the answer they would not have asked the question. So we must be able to hear the answer and the Minister of Justice will give it.
Hon. Martin Cauchon (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, obviously the member did not listen. I was in committee for two hours yesterday. I had an opportunity to explain the challenges that we have been facing through the development of that fantastic gun control program.
The member cannot understand knowing what he said in a press release in 1995. He said that gun control would result in more crime, more injuries and more theft. He should be ashamed knowing the stats that we have.
Gun control works. It is about value. It is about saving lives and we will keep proceeding with that program.
Some hon. members: Hear, hear.
An hon. member: You should be ashamed. You've got a million dollar boondoggle going.
The Speaker: Order, please. We have finished with that question and that answer now. Perhaps hon. members could go behind the curtains and carry on some of these discussions. We want to get on with question period or we will lose time. The hon. member for Winnipeg South Centre has the floor.
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