NEWS RELEASE

  May 11, 2001                                                                                                    For Immed iate Release

  GOVERNMENT REFUSES TO TELL US THE ECONOMIC COST OF THE GUN REGISTRY

“The economic cost of the gun registry will make the actual operating expenditure of $600 million seem like small potatoes,” said Breitkreuz.

  Ottawa – Today, Garry Breitkreuz, MP for Yorkton-Melville released the results of his attempts to try and quantify the impact and cost the Liberal gun registration scheme will have on jobs and the economy.  “Flawed government policy has driven 80 per cent of licenced firearms retailers out of business in less than twenty years - down from 8,931 in 1979 to 1,787 in 1998,” reported Breitkreuz.  “Now the tourism industry is about to feel the same kind of pain!”

  Fed eral Governmen t Responses

  June 14, 1999 – Dept. of Justice (ATI File: A98-00283) – Denied 172 pages of gun registry budget documents by declaring it a Cabinet secret.

  August 16, 1999 – Dept. of Justice (ATI File: A99-00034) - Denied the entire 115-page report on economic impact of the gun registry by declaring it a Cabinet secret.

  January 13, 2000 – Dept. of Justice (ATI File: A-1999-00125) – Denied 61 pages on how user fees will cover the entire cost of the gun registry program by declaring it a Cabinet secret.

  January 31, 2001 – Environment Canada (ATI File: A-2000-0248) - Responded, “no records were found” to show how migratory bird hunting and bird populations will be affected by the new firearms licencing and registration regime.

  February 8, 2001 – Industry Canada (ATI File: A-2000-00417) - Responded they have “no records” that document how the Tourism Industry will be affected by the new requirements for visitors bringing firearms into Canada.

  March 7, 2001 – Foreign Affairs and International Trade (ATI File: A-2000-00375) - Responded that they could find “no records” to show how the implementation of the Firearms Act will affect imports and exports.

  April 12, 2001 – Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (ATI File: A-2000-0301) - Responded they needed thirty more days to try and find records that show how the Firearms Act will affect aboriginal businesses and employment.

  May 7, 2001 – Federal Justice Minister Anne McLellan in a letter to Garry Breitkreuz, MP: "Please assure Mr. _______ that this government values the tourism business that [4,000] outfitters bring to Canada and that this new legislation [Bill C-68] does not change our goal to attract hunters to Canada."  [Note: Full text of Anne McLellan’s letter is available on request]

  Provincial Government Responses

  January 24, 2001 – President and CEO of Tourism British Columbia, Rod Harris, in a letter to Garry Breitkreuz, MP: “Tourism British Columbia has not conducted any specific research with respect to the new requirements for visitors bringing firearms into Canada, and as such, do not have any reports or studies that we could provide.”

  January 26, 2001 – Yukon Deputy Minister of Tourism, Dan Brennan, in a letter to Garry Breitkreuz, MP: “The Department of Tourism is very concerned about the possible effect the new regulations could have on our big game hunting industry, but we are unaware of any studies that may have been done to identify that effect.”

  February 26, 2001 – Alberta Minister of Economic Development, Jon Havlock, Q.C., in a letter to Garry Breitkreuz, MP: “Alberta Economic Development has not conducted any studies to determine the effect this new legislation [Bill C-68] will have on our tourism industry.”

  “The economic cost of the gun registry will make the $600 million out-of-pocket expense to taxpayers seem like small potatoes,” said Breitkreuz.  “For six years, the Liberals have kept the gun registry’s true costs a secret.  Sooner or later every taxpayer will know the truth as it starts to affect the businesses and jobs in their communities.”

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