NEWS RELEASE

December 17, 2002                                                                                                          For Immediate Release

SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY - LIBERAL GOVERNMENT HAS LOST THEIR MORAL COMPASS

“Thousands of convicted sex offenders have privacy rights, but not millions of completely innocent gun owners.”

Yorkton – Today, Garry Breitkreuz, Official Opposition Critic for Firearms and Property Rights, exposed the absurdity of the Liberal Government’s concept of public safety.  Under the Liberal’s bill establishing a new Sex Offender Registry, thousands of convicted sex offenders will not have to register and, consequently, will not have to report their change of address with police.  Compare this to the federal Firearms Act that forces millions of law-abiding firearms owners to report their change of address to the government within 30 days or face criminal penalties of up to two years in jail,” reported Breitkreuz.  “Where’s the justice in that?”

 “Obviously, the Liberals think that innocent firearms owners are more dangerous than convicted sex offenders.  Statistics prove just the opposite,” said Breitkreuz.  “But, as Canadians have learned with the gun registry, facts and honesty have very little to do in the formulation of Liberal legislation.”

 Last Thursday, Wayne Easter, Solicitor General of Canada, told the House of Commons that the government could not bring the Sex Offender Registry in retroactively, “because it might not stand up to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”  Breitkreuz questioned the government’s logic: “Where were their concerns for privacy for the millions of completely innocent firearms owners in 1995 when they passed Bill C-68 forcing them to register in the government’s disastrous gun registry?”

 The penalties in the Liberal’s new Sex Offender Registry are way off the mark too.  Canadian Alliance MP, Kevin Sorenson, MP for Crowfoot, pointed out the ridiculousness of the new law in the House of Commons on Thursday, December 12th:

“Mr. Speaker, failure to register a firearm can end up with a prison term of 10 years.  Failure to register as a convicted sex offender is punishable by only six months in prison.  Firearm owners who provide false information are liable for up to five years in prison. Convicted sex offenders who provide false information are liable for up to six months in prison.  Does the government really believe that innocent firearm owners are a greater threat to the public security than convicted sex offenders?

“Canadians have every right to question the judgment of their government when it comes to the issue of public safety.  I don’t understand how they could get so far off track.  It’s like the government has completely lost their moral compass,” concluded Breitkreuz.