NEWS RELEASE
October
24, 2003
For
Immediate Release
LIBERALS
ON JUSTICE COMMITTEE VOTE:
GUN
REGISTRY $10 MILLION – DNA ANALYSIS ZERO
Ottawa
– Yesterday, Liberal MPs on the Justice Committee unanimously voted down Garry
Breitkreuz’s motion calling on them to reduce the “New Appropriation”
of $10,000,000 for the gun registry from the Supplementary Estimates headed for
a vote in Parliament next Tuesday.
Garry
Breitkreuz, Official Opposition Critic for Firearms and Property Rights, argued
that in light of the backlogs in DNA analysis at the RCMP’s Forensic Labs,
that the $10 million should be re-directed to this real crime-fighting tool
instead of the totally useless gun registry.
Forensics expert, retired RCMP Staff-Sgt. Dave Hepworth says this DNA
backlog can be cleared up with just $5 million.
“Last
fiscal year, the Canadian Firearms Centre spent $78 million dollars and it one
of the registry’s busiest years because of the December 31st
registration deadline. Approximately 2.5 million guns were registered.
This year they will register less than a million guns but they say they
need another $10 million on top of the $113 million we approved in June?
Why?” asked Breitkreuz.
“Let’s spend this $10 million where it will do the most good to
prevent crime, solve crimes and save lives.”
Unfortunately,
Breitkreuz’s common sense appeal fell on the deaf ears of the Liberal members
who sit on the Justice Committee.
Note:
Breitkreuz continued arguing his case in the House of Commons later in the day.
http://www.cssa-cila.org/garryb/questions/oct-23-2003b.htm
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