PUBLICATION:
The
StarPhoenix (Saskatoon)
DATE:
2004.10.27
EDITION:
Final
SECTION:
National
PAGE:
A10
BYLINE:
Tim Naumetz
SOURCE:
For CanWest News Service
DATELINE:
OTTAWA
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Gun
registration lottery unconstitutional: Sask. MP
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OTTAWA
-- Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan brushed off Conservative claims Tuesday
that a computer lottery randomly giving 770,000 gun owners a free extension of
their firearm licences is unconstitutional.
Yorkton-Melville
Conservative MP Gary Breitkreuz ridiculed the system the Canada Firearms Centre
set up to avoid a one-time crush of up to 1.3 million applications from gun
owners to renew five-year possession licences.
About
770,000 firearms owners were selected to have their licence periods extended, in
effect renewed without charge, for between one and five years. The remaining gun
owners must renew their licences at the five-year deadline and pay a $60 fee or
face penalties.
"The
Liberal brain trust over there is giving away free firearms licences to 770,000
randomly selected gun owners and is charging the other unlucky licence holders
$60 each to renew their licence," Breitkreuz told the House of Commons.
"Does this Liberal lottery not violate their Charter of Rights (guarantee)
to be treated equally under the law?" he asked McLellan.
Firearms
Centre spokesperson Thomas Vares said the plan to stagger renewals for
gun-possession licences was developed more than a year ago to avoid the extra
cost involved in renewing most licences at the same time. Firearms owners who
were issued possession and acquisition licences, which allow them to buy guns,
will not have their expiry dates extended, said Vares. He added the bulk of the
free extensions were for two to three years.
FOR FULL TEXT OF GARRY’S QUESTION