End the Long-Gun Registry

The long-gun registry, touted in 1995 to cost $85 million to operate, is now up to an estimated $2 billion and counting. The registry was an ill-conceived crime-fighting measure that did little more than add paperwork and expenses for hunters, farmers and recreational gun users. For taxpayers, it added higher taxes! Fortunately, taxpayers have the best chance in 15 years to bring the wasteful long-gun registry to an end.

Bill C-391, a private member's bill to eliminate the long-gun registry brought forward by Manitoba MP Candice Hoeppner, passed second reading in federal Parliament on November 4, 2009, 164 to 137 thanks to the votes of 12 New Democrats, 8 Liberals, and 1 Independent MP who voted with 143 Conservatives.  CTF supporters played a significant role in contacting lawmakers before this important vote.

The bill then went before 12 MPs on the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security. CTF supporters again got organized and were successful in requesting Kevin Gaudet be invited to testify.  Kevin spoke to the Committee on May 25th. Unfortunately, the majority of Committee members that support the wasteful long gun registry were not persuaded and passed a motion to kill the bill that is scheduled to be voted on in the House of Commons on September 22nd.  If the motion passes, all our work of the past 15 years will be returned to square one.

This motion can only be defeated with the votes of opposition lawmakers. Michael Ignatieff has told the 8 Liberal MPs who previously voted to scrap the long-gun registry to change their votes or face discipline. Jack Layton meanwhile is allowing his MPs to vote their conscious.  Please contact these MPs and commend them for their courage. Tell them to stay the course or remain absent from the vote if their party bosses are threatening them.

Second, please send an urgent donation so we can put radio ads on the air supporting the position taken by these opposition MPs and encourage them not to back down.

Seventy-two per cent of Canadians recently told pollster Angus Reid that the long gun registry has done nothing to prevent crime. An unscientific survey of rank and file police officers was even more decisive, with 92% of them wanting it scrapped.

Should the motion on September 22 fail, Bill C-391 will then move to third and final reading in the House of Commons and be one step closer to law!

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