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Versions of this article also appeared in the following papers: Toronto Sun: 3,000 LOSE GUN RIGHT; MENTALLY ILL OR DEEMED A RISK TO OTHERS Ottawa Sun: GUN LICENCES SHOT DOWN Edmonton Sun: 3,000 GUN LICENCES YANKED OR TURNED DOWN London Free Press: FIREARMS BOSS FINDS 'NOTABLE PROGRESS' Winnipeg Sun: A FAREWELL TO ARMS; 3,000-PLUS CANADIANS DENIED GUN LICENCES LAST YEAR: REPORT PUBLICATION: The Calgary
Sun -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- REGISTRY MAKES 'PROGRESS'
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More than 3,000 Canadians had a gun licence revoked or refused last year, according to a new report from the federal firearms commissioner. Most had their licence yanked or rejected due to a prohibition or probation order, while others were turned down due to a violent past, a mental health issue or because they were deemed a potential risk to themselves or others. As of last December, nearly seven million firearms were registered under the costly and controversial program, according to the annual report from commissioner William Baker. Pointing to initiatives designed to curb costs, streamline operations and boost capacity, Baker said the 2004 figures reflect a year of "notable progress." Since the Firearms Act was passed in 1998, nearly 14,000 applications to acquire or keep firearms were rejected, cutting the risk of death, injury, crime and threat, he said. But Saskatchewan MP Garry Breitkreuz, the Conservative Party's gun registry critic, said questionable statistics are thrown out to justify runaway costs some have pegged at $2 billion. Numbers of licences denied or revoked are meaningless, since those with criminal intent aren't likely to go the registry route. "It's absurd that they would focus on law-abiding people, while those who are refused a firearms licence for one reason or another are simply forgotten about," Breitkreuz said. "Why aren't they checking on the 170,000 who have been prohibited by the courts?" The report shows 2,518 Canadians had their licence revoked last year while 538 applicants were turned down. Of those who had licences revoked, 76% were due to court prohibition or probation orders. Lia Quickert, spokesman for Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan, said police officers access the registry online about 21,000 times a week, adding that cops have made 4.1 million queries to the system since 1998. "Clearly this shows the program is working," she said. --------------------------------------------------- BREITKREUZ QUOTE:
"And what does the two billion-dollar Firearms Centre do with these
newly-identified-dangerous individuals? The Firearms Centre quits tracking
them! The Firearms Centre quits requiring them to report their change
of address to police? The Firearms Centre doesn’t check to see if
they turned in all their guns. The Firearms Centre doesn’t even
authorize police to “inspect” their home to see if they have
acquired guns illegally? Only law-abiding, federally-licenced gun owners
are subjected to this violation of privacy rights. Where’s the logic
in that?" CANADA FIREARMS CENTRE FIREARMS QUICK FACTS FIREARM FOLLIES #2:
LIBERAL REPORT FABRICATES FIREARM PROGRAM BENEFITS GUN REGISTRY NOT EFFECTIVE
AT TELLING POLICE WHERE THE GUNS ARE SEVENTEEN FALSE CLAIMS ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE GUN REGISTRY http://www.cssa-cila.org/garryb/publications/Article508.htm |