NEWS RELEASE

May 9, 1995 For Immediate Release

"ROCK HASN'T DONE HIS HOMEWORK," SAYS FORMER TEACHER, GARRY BREITKREUZ

"Rock doesn't know if 60 years of handgun registration has helped solve crime or reduce crime."

Ottawa - Garry Breitkreuz, MP for Yorkton-Melville, wonders if there are any questions the Minister of Justice can answer. Whether he answers questions in the House of Commons or whether he answers detailed questions in writing, Allan Rock's answers are always the same. "We don't know if registration will work. We're doing it because the Chiefs of Police asked for it. When is the Justice Minister going to accept full responsibility for his loathsome legislation instead of blaming it on the Chiefs of Police?" asked Breitkreuz.

In response to Breitkreuz' Order Paper Question #138, Allan Rock admitted they don't know how many crimes have been solved by the 60 year old handgun registration system. Here is a sample of what the he doesn't know: (1) Rock doesn't know how many seized handguns have been traced to their legal owners; (2) Rock doesn't know how many legal handgun owners have been charged with a firearms offence as a result of a successful trace; (3) Rock doesn't know how many legal handgun owners had their registrations revoked as a result of being convicted of a violent crime;

(4) Rock doesn't know how many handgun registrations have been revoked as a consequence of an attempted suicide by the legal owner or occupant of the household; and (5) Rock doesn't even know how many registered handguns have been used by the registered owner in homicides, suicides or other firearms related crimes.

"How can the Justice Minister justify spending even $85 million on registering all rifles and shotguns when he knows the current handgun registration system has never helped solve crime or reduce crime?" asked Breitkreuz. This proves, once again, the Auditor General was right in his 1993 report to Parliament when he said there was "no statistical basis" for the last round of gun controls and recommended a "comprehensive evaluation. How much more evidence do we have to present before someone in the Liberal Cabinet finally wakes up to the fact that Allan Rock hasn't done his homework?"

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Yorkton: (306) 782-3309

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