O.F.A.H. agrees with focus of Harper’s crime announcement

O.F.A.H. agrees with focus of Harper’s crime announcement

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (O.F.A.H.), representing 81,000 members and 630 member clubs across Ontario is pleased to see that the recent announcement made by Stephen Harper, Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, contains a number of initiatives that the O.F.A.H. has been supporting for years.

“The O.F.A.H. has always supported increased fines and penalties for the use of firearms to commit crime, particularly illegal firearms; mandatory sentences for gun crime; increased funding for police to allow for more officers on the street; increased funding for border security and screening; and most importantly, the scrapping of the ill-fated $2 billion long gun registry – a program that has done absolutely nothing to reduce crime. In fact, former RCMP Commissioner Norman Inkster, President of the Winnipeg Police Association, Lorne Schinkel, and former Toronto Police Chief, Julian Fantino, have all clearly stated that the long gun registry does not help police link actual crimes to actual guns, and is long on philosophy and short on results,” said Mike Reader, O.F.A.H. Executive Director.

Mr. Reader also noted that many aspects of Mr. Harper’s announcement are similar in tone and nature to the policy to combat gun crime in Toronto announced by Premier McGuinty earlier today.

“As a nonpartisan organization, the O.F.A.H. does not endorse any political party or individual candidate, but we do take a stance in support for or against policy announcements or legislation that impact upon our members. In the case of both Mr. Harper’s platform on crime and Mr. McGuinty’s announcement targeting illegal guns and gun crime, they quite correctly focus on criminals and the illegal use of guns to commit crime, and not on legal, trained and law-abiding hunters, farmers and recreational sports shooters who are clearly not part of the problem. In that respect, both deserve our support,” added Mr. Reader.

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters is the leading outdoors organization that proudly represents tens of thousands of responsible gun owners in Ontario.

– 30 –

• O.F.A.H. actions against Federal Gun Registry