NEWS RELEASE

November 26, 2003                                                                                  For Immediate Release

PRIVATIZATION OF GUN REGISTRY TO COST $300 MILLION: GOV’T DOCUMENTS VERIFY

“One of the reasons why the gun registry cost so much: They paid twice for the registry’s computer system!”

Ottawa – Today, Garry Breitkreuz, Official Opposition Critic for Firearms and Property Rights, made another direct hit on the problem-plagued gun registry.  The Saskatchewan MP released government documents stamped “SECRET” verifying his disclosure last January that the government’s plans to privatize the gun registry would cost $300 million dollars.  “This is disgraceful considering that the new company is being paid to provide computer services and programs that the Department of Justice already paid $227 million to EDS Canada to provide.  What a colossal, useless waste of money,” fumed Breitkreuz.

Page 54 of the “SECRET” document dated January 9, 2003 obtained through one Breitkreuz’s 400 Access to Information Act requests states: “A $300M contract was awarded to Team Centra (a partnership between two companies, CGI Group and BDP Business Data Services) to design a new licensing and registration system ($34 million) and operate it over the next 15 years ($266M).”

Page 127 of another “SECRET” document dated March 5, 2003 admits the privatization plan called Alternative Service Delivery (ASD) is in trouble: “ASD – The concept is defensible, however, there are concerns with the contract at this point.”

Page 161 about the gun registry privatization plan was completely whited-out.

“Why hasn’t this information been made available to Parliament?” asked Breitkreuz.  “The government promised to be more open and transparent but has failed to do so on a number of occasions.  Solicitor General Wayne Easter appeared before the Justice Committee to defend the Main Estimates in the spring and once again this fall to defend the Supplementary Estimates.  On October 31^st the government’s Performance Report on the Firearms Program was tabled in Parliament.  Absolutely no mention has been made of this newly documented $300 million expense or why they wasted $227 Million on EDS Canada contract.  Mr. Martin has a lot to answer for when he finally takes power on December 12^th.  After all he wrote most of the cheques for this bureaucratic boondoggle,” concluded Breitkreuz.

-30-