• CTF projects multiple scenarios for gun registry's future costs
• CTF says gun registry accounting smacks of Enron fiasco
• CTF challenges Liberal backbenchers on eve of Estimates vote
• CTF shows what $1 billion could actually buy for "real" public safety

The Minister's Dream
Ambitious Target
Taxpayers' Nightmare

OTTAWA: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) released data today on the rising cost of the federal gun registry in advance of tomorrow's House of Commons vote to approve an addition $59 million of funding for the gun registry this year (2002/2003) and $113 million in additional funding for fiscal year 2003/2004.

Last December, Auditor General (AG) Sheila Fraser revealed that the gun registry was on track to run 430 times over budget by 2004/2005. In 1995 the government estimated the firearms registry would cost $119 million to establish but recoup $117 million through firearms license fees for a net cost to taxpayers of $2 million. The AG predicted the registry would exceed $1 billion in costs with only $140 million in fees to offset this colossal cost explosion by 2004/2005.

"Incredibly Ms. Fraser was too cautious in her projections. With the likely approval by Parliament of an extra $172 million in funding tomorrow, the registry will surpass the $1 billion waste plateau one year earlier," stated CTF federal director Walter Robinson. "And like a team of climbers half way up Mount Everest, the registry's costs will soar to a peak of almost $2 billion."

Justice Minister's February cost estimate is unattainable!
The CTF developed three distinct scenarios - the Minister's Dream, the Ambitious Target, and the Taxpayers' Nightmare - to plot the gun registry budget over the next decade. Each scenario uses historic gun registry cost data and projects varying budget reduction scenarios over the coming decade.

On February 21st, federal Justice Minister Martin Cauchon laid out his 'Gun Control Program Action Plan' and conceded the firearms registry would end up costing taxpayers approximately $541.4 million more over the next 10 years.

"Even in the best case scenario - The Minister's Dream - the registry will run 52% over budget during the next decade," said Robinson. "Under a more realistic scenario dubbed the Ambitious Target, the registry runs 60% over budget and doubles the $860-million wasted so far. And in the Taxpayers' Nightmare scenario, the registry will cost $2-billion by 2012-13, a whopping 100% over the budget estimate laid out by the Minister just one month ago on February 21st."


Gun registry cost estimates as bogus as Enron financial statements
" Ottawa's numbers just don't add up. Short of hiding costs and deceiving taxpayers yet again, it is virtually impossible that the gun registry will run on budget," added Robinson. "Minister Cauchon's cost estimates are as bogus as Enron's financial statements."

Could Liberal backbenchers show some courage - just once
"These projections should finally jolt more than a few Liberal backbenchers out of their decade-long, gun registry slumber so they will vote against any more money for this registry which redefines the meaning of boondoggle," stated Robinson. "And these MPs should finally face reality. If they've sat on the Liberal backbench for the last decade, let's be frank, they're really not jeopardizing any future Cabinet posts by voting against the government. Is it too much to ask that they show courage and conscience just once a decade "

Using tax dollars to truly improve public safety
The CTF also highlighted the opportunity cost of what the billion dollars (to be spent by 2003/2004) could have been used to fund instead of the gun registry.

For a billion dollars, the Government of Canada could:

• Allocate $3,235 more to investigate every violent crime committed in Canada in 2002; or
• Purchase 21 million gun trigger locks and 21 million long-gun carrying cases or purchase 7 million gun cabinets; or
• Spend $1.8 million per reward to help get a conviction for every murder committed in 2002; or
• Pay for 40% all adult jail costs for one year; or
• Cover the City of Toronto's police services budget for two years.

Continued existence of the gun registry is truly a crime
" Ottawa's handling of the gun registry is a textbook example of public administration at its worst and sadly, the arrogant intransigence of the Liberal government at its best," concluded Robinson. "This non-functioning registry is equivalent to a fiscal crime perpetuated against taxpayers. Getting duck hunters and farmers to register their firearms won't stop crime. It's way past the time to shut this registry down."

By: Walter Robinson
Posted: March 23, 2003
Topic: Federal

Contact the regional director Gregory Thomas for further information.

Type: Presentations

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