NOTE:  Versions of this article also appeared in the Winnipeg Sun, Edmonton Sun and Toronto Sun

PUBLICATION:          The Ottawa Sun 

DATE:                         2005.02.03

EDITION:                    Final 

SECTION:                  News 

PAGE:                         7 

ILLUSTRATION: 2 photos 1. photo by Sean Kilpatrick, SUN ALMONTE'S Brian Giles, 34, who has owned guns since he was 16, opposes the registry. 2. photo of ALBINA GUARNIERI Gun input 

BYLINE:  MARIA MCCLINTOCK, PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU 

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FIRING BLANKS ON GUN REGISTRY

TWO-THIRDS OF GRIT REPORT CENSORED

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THE FEDERAL government is keeping secret key sections of a report that makes recommendations on how to improve the controversial $1-billion gun registry program, the Sun has learned. A copy of the 48-page report obtained by Sun Media under Access to Information was heavily censored, with only 16 pages released. The deleted pages contain the recommendations compiled by then-associate defence minister Albina Guarnieri. Guarnieri completed her report in April 2004, a month before the federal election was called.

Guarnieri travelled the country for three months to get input from gun owners and the general public on how to improve the system and contain its ballooning costs. She was given the task by Prime Minister Paul Martin in early 2004 as he faced mounting pressure to dump the program.

Tory MP Garry Breitkreuz said the government issued assurances the report would be made public and never followed through.  "What are they hiding? Is there more embarrassment here that they don't want the public to find out about?" he said.  Breitkreuz mused the government didn't want anything controversial coming out before the federal election.

But Alex Swann, spokesman for Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan, said the government decided to release an action plan for the registry rather than a report. "(McLellan) produced ... an action plan based on (what) Albina heard from Canadians in her meetings and the focus was on actually putting some changes in place, and getting those out the door," Swann said.

CAPPING COSTS

Those measures include capping the annual costs of the gun registry at $25 million starting in the 2005-06 fiscal year; bringing in changes to the Criminal Code; and eliminating registration fees. The government has not yet acted on the amendments to the code.

Meanwhile, new information showed that in 2004 the Canadian Firearms Centre mailed out 770,000 licence renewal notices, and 46,509 were returned as "undelivered."

maria.mcclintock@tor.sunpub.com

TIMELINE

- 1995: Firearms Act receives senate approval. Estimated cost of gun registry is $119 million, while licence revenue is estimated at $117 million.

- 2000: Report indicates rising registry costs.

- December 2001: Costs rise to more than $525 million.

- April 2002: Registry cost rises to more than $625 million.

- 2002: Auditor report suggests registry to cost $1 billion.

- January 1, 2003: Deadline for gun owners to register non-restricted firearms.

- February 2003: 1.9 Canadians are licensed and 6 million firearms are registered. Government reintroduces online registration.

- April 2003: Gun registry moves from department of justice to solicitor general.

- 2003: House of Commons approves additional $59 million for program.

- January 2004: Prime minister announces gun registry review. Government consolidates processing plants in Miramichi, N.B., and Montreal.

- February 2004: Long-term gun registry costs estimated at $2 billion.

- May 2004: Grits cap registry funding at $25 million annually.

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GOVERNMENT TOLD BREITKREUZ THAT GUARNIERI'S

ENTIRE REPORT WAS A "CABINET SECRET"

OCTOBER 1, 2004 - BREITKREUZ'S ATI REQUEST TO THE DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE

Reference is being made to the Prime Minister's appointment of Hon. Albina Guarnieri, Associate Minister of National Defence and Minister of State (Civil Preparedness) to conduct a review of the federal firearms program. Please provide copies of each draft report and the final report prepared by the Associate Minister with respect to her review of the federal firearms.

NOVEMBER 3, 2004 - DEPT. OF NATIONAL DEFENCE RESPONSE

After a thorough review of the documentation, it has been determined that requested information cannot be disclosed.  The information you requested is excluded in its entirety pursuant to Section 69(1) of the Act. ["Cabinet confidences"]

BREITKREUZ: NEW INFORMATION ON THE FIREARMS PROGRAM

http://www.cssa-cila.org/garryb/newinformation.htm