TWELVE THINGS ALL MPs SHOULD KNOW BEFORE VOTING TO PUMP ANOTHER $172 MILLION INTO THE GUN REGISTRY
“MPs still won’t know the total cost of the gun registry to date when they vote at the end of March.”
Yorkton – Today, Garry Breitkreuz, Official Opposition Critic for Firearms and Property Rights, released his 5-page analysis of twelve things that all Members of Parliament should know before they vote to pump another $172 million into the gun registry. Even Liberal backbenchers are saying Parliament ‘repudiated’ the Canadian Firearms Program on December 5, 2003 by unanimously refusing another $72 million in additional program spending. “It’s been three months and nothing has really changed,” said Breitkreuz. “MPs won’t even know the total cost of gun registry to date when they vote for another $172 million at the end of March. It’s an absolute disgrace, an insult to taxpayers and the democratic will of Parliament.”
Here is Breitkreuz’s list of twelve things all MPs should know before the next gun registry vote:
1. The Auditor General reported that she was unable to determine the total cost of the gun registry from the information provided by the Department of Justice.
2. The Auditor General reported that the Justice Department failed to report the “wider costs” of the gun registry as required by the government’s regulatory policy.
3. The Auditor General reported that the Department of Justice failed to report the costs of enforcing the Firearms Act.
4. The Justice Minister said that Parliament will have to wait until fall for him to table his “consolidated report” on the total cost of the gun registry.
5. Justice Minister Cauchon said that he “totally” accepts all the recommendations of the Auditor General.
6. The Auditor General recommends that the Canadian Firearms Program have its own “business line” in the Main Estimates.
7. The Justice Minister admits that no one can tell what is to be spent on the gun control program by looking at the Main Estimates.
8. The Auditor General reported that the Canadian Firearms Program is a “Major Crown Project” and reporting requirements to Parliament were not met.
9. Justice Minister Cauchon tabled the Main Estimates without a separate “business line” for the Canadian Firearms Program.
10. Justice Minister Cauchon released detailed spending estimates for the gun registry to the media one month before he will table this information in Parliament.
11. The Justice Minister’s spending estimates for 2003-2004 increased by $18.1 million since their March 21, 2002 estimates.
12. On December 5, 2002, the House of Commons “repudiated” the Canadian Firearms Program by unanimously refusing the Justice Minister’s request for $72 million in funding. Nothing has really changed in the last four months - Parliament is still being kept in the dark!
NOTE: For documentation for all twelve points click here:
http://www.cssa-cila.org/garryb/publications/firearms_facts_march07-03.htm
“It’s irresponsible for Members of Parliament to vote to pour another $172 million into any program when neither the Auditor General of Canada nor the Justice Minister know what the total expenditures have been over the last eight years,” concluded Breitkreuz.
-30-