O.F.A.H. stands behind new bill to scrap long gun registry

O.F.A.H. stands behind new bill to scrap long gun registry
Manitoba M.P. introduces clear, simple, supportable legislation

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (O.F.A.H.), applauds the introduction of Bill C-391, a new private members’ bill tabled in the House of Commons earlier today by Candice Hoeppner, Conservative Member of Parliament for the riding of Portage-Lisgar, Manitoba.

The legislation, which is the third and most clearly defined firearms bill introduced this year, addresses the need to abolish the badly flawed federal long gun registry, nothing more, nothing less.

"The O.F.A.H., provincial and territorial wildlife federations, national and provincial wildlife and outdoor groups, legal, law abiding firearms owners, hunters, farmers, and recreational sport shooters across Canada had expressed support for the two previous bills introduced earlier this year," said O.F.A.H. Executive Director Mike Reader. "Unfortunately, it was apparent that each of those contained language that made it difficult for some Members of Parliament and others who support abolition of the long gun registry to fully support them. By introducing a clear, concise, straightforward piece of legislation, Ms. Hoeppner has addressed those concerns and presented the House with a bill that does one thing and one thing only; scrap the long gun registry. In the past, many members of the opposition parties, particularly those whose constituents have been adversely affected by the current system, have spoken out against the long gun registry. We expect that the new legislation will allow Members of Parliament from all parties to work with Ms. Hoeppner and the government to pass the bill."

Since the creation of the long gun registry under Bill C-68, the legal, law abiding firearms community has contended that the government of the day had aimed at the wrong target. Many front line officers, police associations and even some Chiefs of Police have also gone on record stating that the registry is flawed and has not helped them do their job.

"The long gun registry, which will have cost Canadian taxpayers $2 billion dollars by 2012, a cost overrun of over 1,000%, ignores the fact that criminals do not register firearms. Instead of focusing its attention on the lawbreakers, who obtain firearms illegally and use them to commit crimes in our communities, the previous government targeted the law abiding, and in the process, criminalized legal, licensed, trained, farmers, hunters and recreational sport shooters, including Olympic athletes. Despite claims that the long gun registry provided for enhanced public safety, the Auditor General of Canada pronounced it to be one of the biggest messes ever created by a government, and made it clear that Canadian Firearms Centre had failed to demonstrate how the registry helped to minimize risks to public safety by providing evidence that it had helped reduce deaths, injuries and threats from firearms," said Reader.

Given all of the evidence that the long gun registry hasn’t worked, that it doesn’t contribute to making our communities safer and that it tracks only lawful firearms owners, and not the criminal or the prohibited offender, it is imperative that Members of Parliament bring an end to this exercise in futility.

With over 100,000 members, supporters and subscribers and 660 member clubs across Ontario, the O.F.A.H. is the largest nonprofit, charitable conservation-based fishing and hunting organization in the province, and the voice of anglers and hunters. For more information, visit www.ofah.org.

-30-

Contact

Click here to download the PDF version of this release