NOTE:  Versions of this article also appeared in the Ottawa Sun, Winnipeg Sun,

London Free Press, Edmonton Sun, and Calgary Sun.

PUBLICATION:          The Toronto Sun 

DATE:                         2004.02.15

EDITION:                    Final 

SECTION:                  News 

PAGE:                         4 

ILLUSTRATION:        photo of GARRY BREITKREUZ Plan "rotten" 

BYLINE:                     KATHLEEN HARRIS, OTTAWA BUREAU 

DATELINE:                 OTTAWA 

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REPORT: $2B FOR GUN ROLL 'SCANDALOUS' WASTE OF MONEY, MP SAYS

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The cost of the controversial gun registry program could soar to $2 billion -- double the latest $1-billion estimate, according to a report.

The alarming projection is due, in part, to an expensive computer system designed to track registered guns, CBC French news program Zone Libre reported after crunching numbers from documents obtained through Access to Information.

Disturbed by the revelation, Conservative MP Garry Breitkreuz said the gun registry program is laden with "hidden costs" because officials are withholding financial details.

"The amount being spent here is scandalous," he said. "The money should be spent improving public safety and going after real criminals. For a paper-pushing exercise to cost this much is just rotten."

Alex Swann, a spokesman for Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan, said the department will review how the CBC investigation calculated the $2-billion price.

"It's unclear in the show how they're arriving at that number, and we certainly question how those numbers are being arrived at," he said.

The firearms registry program was "heavily vetted" by Auditor General Sheila Fraser, who projected the 10-year cost would reach $1 billion by 2004-2005, Swann said.

He did not have details on the cost of the computer system that tracks the registry, but noted the Firearms Centre has adopted measures to control costs since the 2002 audit.

Wendy Cukier, president of the Coalition for Gun Control, dismissed the $2-billion price tag as "totally misleading." She said the figure includes roughly $1 billion in costs related to enforcing the Firearms Act -- including trafficking guns, possessing stolen firearms and using weapons in the commission of an offence.

"Sure, you can argue that part of the costs of gun control in Canada are prosecuting, convicting and putting people in jail for firearms offences, but to suggest that those are costs associated with the registry is a complete misrepresentation," she said.

Bruce Winchester of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation said the government spending watchdog had predicted the price tag would climb to $2 billion. The AG's report was incomplete because she wasn't given access to the detailed information she required for a comprehensive tally, he said.

"This latest report finding costs of $2 billion is not surprising, but it's very regrettable," he said. "We stand by our original request, which we made to the former government and now to the Martin government -- to shut this registry down."

Prime Minister Paul Martin has asked Liberal MP Albina Guarnieri to review the gun-registry program to maximize cost efficiencies.