FIREARMS
FACTS - UPDATE
WENDY
CUKIER AND THE COALITION FOR GUN CONTROL ASKED JUSTICE MINISTER MARTIN CAUCHON
TO BAN MORE GUNS.
THE
JUSTICE MINISTER AGREED AND WAYNE EASTER
REFUSED
TO ANSWER QUESTIONS PUT TO HIM IN THE HOUSE
On Wednesday, August 6, 2002, Justice Minister Martin
Cauchon met with Wendy Cukier, President of the Coalition for Gun Control.
A MEMORANDUM FOR THE MINISTER and TALKING POINTS (dated August 1, 2002)
prepared for the Minister by Denis Stevens, Director of Policy, Canadian
Firearms Centre had this response to Ms. Cukier and the Coalition's
recommendations.
CUKIER/COALITION
RECOMMENDATION:
"BANNING
[exempted sec 21(1)(a)]."
MINISTER
CAUCHON'S RESPONSE:
-
"Before undertaking new initiatives, it is important that we conclude the
legislative and regulatory review currently underway and stabilize Program
administration."
-
"In the meantime,
[exempted sec 21(1)(a)]."
NOTE:
These documents were obtained through an Access to Information Act
request submitted by Garry Breitkreuz, MP on November 4, 2002 and replied to by
the Department of Justice on April 7, 2003 - Justice ATI File: A-2002-0208
ON MAY 6th AND 7th, 2003, GARRY BREITKREUZ, MP ASKED THE
MINISTER HOW MANY MORE TYPES OF GUNS DID HE PROMISE THE COALITION FOR GUN
CONTROL HE WAS GOING TO BAN AND WHETHER OR NOT HE WAS GOING TO COMPENSATE GUN
OWNERS FOR THE LOSS IN VALUE TO THEIR PROPERTY.
HOUSE
OF COMMONS DEBATES
Tuesday,
May 6, 2003 [Hansard – Page 5868]
Mr.
Garry Breitkreuz (Yorkton—Melville, Canadian Alliance):
Mr. Speaker, it seems very strange to me that it would make the streets safer
by reducing firearms safety training programs. The minister is unable to produce
a shred of evidence that banning hundreds of thousands of guns owned by
law-abiding Canadians has any effect whatsoever at reducing the criminal use of
firearms. Will the minister please
tell us today which guns he is going to ban and also important, is he going to
fully compensate the gun owners for the loss in value of their property?
Hon.
Wayne Easter (Solicitor General of Canada, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, obviously in the discussion earlier this morning the member for
Yorkton—Melville was not listening. He does not want to listen. He does not
want to hear the good news stories. I outlined a couple of examples in this
morning's discussion from NWEST in terms of where the gun registry in fact
helped them find illegal weapons and keep our streets safer. The member for
Yorkton—Melville opposite does not want to admit there are some good news
stories out there as a result of the gun control program.
*
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HOUSE
OF COMMONS DEBATES
Wednesday,
May 7, 2003 [Hansard – Page 5914]
Mr.
Garry Breitkreuz (Yorkton—Melville, Canadian Alliance):
Mr. Speaker, I have had to put in over 260 access to information requests to
try to piece together this stupid fiasco the government is pushing on us. That
is not open and accountable government. That is keeping Canadians in the dark. I
would like the minister to answer the two questions that I posed to him
yesterday and that he ducked. How can he justify funding the Coalition for Gun
Control to the tune of almost $400,000 and at the same time cut $65,000 from an
effective firearms safety training program? How many more types of guns did he
promise the coalition he was going to ban?
Hon.
Wayne Easter (Malpeque, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, what is really interesting about the member for Yorkton--Melville
is that he only tells the Canadian public and the House half the story.
The fact of the matter is what access to information should have told the
hon. member, and I assume it may have, is that the contract for safety training
was for one year. It was worked out with the province of Saskatchewan. Those
people did a good job of training individuals on the gun safety program.
*
* *