NOTE:
Versions of this article also appeared in the National Post, Victoria Times
Colonist, Calgary Herald, Saskatoon Star Phoenix, Montreal Gazette, and Winnipeg
Free Press
PUBLICATION:
The
Ottawa Citizen
DATE: 2004.05.20
EDITION:
Final
SECTION: News
PAGE:
A1 / Front
BYLINE:
Tim Naumetz
SOURCE:
The Ottawa Citizen
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gun
registry remains under Criminal Code: Last-ditch lobbying by urban MPs defeats
effort to ease law's burden
Prime
Minister Paul Martin and his cabinet have rejected a proposal to take the
controversial firearms registry out of the Criminal Code and will announce
instead a pre-election package to tackle illegal handguns and domestic violence.
Deputy
Prime Minister Anne McLellan was expected to unveil the measures today following
a month of internal Liberal debate, including a fierce campaign mounted by
Toronto and Montreal backbenchers who opposed the Criminal Code changes proposed
by associate defence minister Albina Guarnieri.
Ms.
Guarnieri, who conducted a three-month review of the federal firearms registry
and reported to Ms. McLellan last month, urged the government to take the
requirement for registration of rifles and shotguns out of the Criminal Code and
turn it into a routine ticket offence that would not result in a criminal
record. She also recommended the renewal of gun-owner licences every 10 years
instead of every five years.
Despite
attempts by Ms. Guarnieri to muster support for her proposals -- including media
lobbying by a former Canadian Police Association official who staunchly opposes
the registry -- the government decided against radical change. The decision was
taken partly because of the last-minute pressure from backbench MPs, women's
groups and the Coalition for Gun Control, and partly because weakening the
firearms program could lessen Liberal support in urban areas with an election
call expected within days.
The
proposal to take the registration provisions out of the Criminal Code was
questioned even by opposition critics, who recalled that the Criminal Code
involvement was crucial in a Supreme Court ruling that the federal government
had the constitutional authority to go ahead with the Firearms Act. Criminal
legislation is exclusively under federal jurisdiction, although the provinces
are responsible for policing and prosecution.
Cabinet
has reportedly adopted Ms. Guarnieri's recommendations to increase public safety
through tough measures in other areas. These included stricter penalties for
possession of handguns in public, zero tolerance for domestic violence and new
funding for high-tech police tools.
Montreal
MP Marlene Jennings, who persuaded Health Minister Pierre Pettigrew to take up
the pro-registry cause in cabinet, said there was a flurry of communication
yesterday among supporters of the program after a news report suggested cabinet
was still divided on the issue.
"I'll
believe it when I see it in black and white," said Ms. Jennings when
informed about the cabinet decision.
Wendy
Cukier, longtime head of the Coalition for Gun Control, was a chief organizer in
the campaign against several of Ms. Guarnieri's proposals, with the most
contentious being decriminalization of the requirement for the registration of
long guns. Control of handguns would have remained under the Criminal Code.
Ms.
Cukier said the measure, combined with stricter control of handguns used in
crime, would increase the number of rifles and shotguns used in crime. Ms.
Cukier also argued the firearms program and earlier changes to gun laws have
resulted in a sharp reduction in deaths and homicides involving rifles and
shotguns in Canada.
Mike
Scandifio, Ms. Guarnieri's press secretary, refused to comment on the issue
yesterday. Farah Mohamed, Ms. McLellan's press secretary, also had no comment.
Ms.
McLellan was expected to announce the plan in Edmonton today, accompanied by
other senior ministers.
Conservative
MP Garry Breitkreuz dismissed the measures as an election gimmick. "These
proposals won't save any money," said Mr. Breitkreuz. "The gun
registry is useless and a colossal waste of money that should be going to fight
violent crime."
Some
of Ms. Guarnieri's proposals, including lower fees for gun registration and
elimination of transfer fees on gun purchases, would actually add to the cost of
the gun registry.
----------------------------------------------------------------
NEWS
RELEASE - May 17, 2004
NEWEST
POLL SHOWS 76.7% OF CANADIANS WANT GUN REGISTRY SCRAPPED!
“Conservatives
believe in gun control, but gun registration has failed to control guns or
reduce violent crime.”
http://www.cssa-cila.org/garryb/breitkreuzgpress/guns124.htm
NEWS
RELEASE - November 5, 2003
DOMESTIC
HOMICIDES CONTINUE TO RISE DESPITE BILLION-DOLLAR GUN REGISTRY
“How
many lives could have been saved if the Liberals had spent this money addressing
the
root causes of domestic violence?” asked Breitkreuz
http://www.cssa-cila.org/garryb/breitkreuzgpress/guns99.htm
NEWS
RELEASE - September 25, 2002
STATISTICS
CANADA TELLS US WHAT’S KILLING CANADIANS
“In
1999, less than one-half of one percent of all deaths in Canada involved
firearms and sadly the Liberal’s billion-dollar gun registry won’t make it
any better.”
http://www.cssa-cila.org/garryb/breitkreuzgpress/GunControl69.htm
NEWS
RELEASE - February 25, 2004
BREITKREUZ
RELEASES DRAFT PLAN TO REGISTER CRIMINALS – NOT DUCK HUNTERS
“Statistics
Canada data proves that criminals are the problem – not law-abiding gun
owners.”
http://www.cssa-cila.org/garryb/breitkreuzgpress/guns114.htm