OFAH Applauds Introduction of Bill to Scrap Wasteful Long Gun Registry

OFAH FILE: 842
October 25, 2011

OFAH Applauds Introduction of Bill to Scrap Wasteful Long Gun Registry
Federal government honors commitment to outdoor community

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) strongly endorses the introduction of Bill C-19, tabled in the House of Commons earlier today by federal Public Safety Minister Vic Toews.

The legislation is the fourth bill introduced in the last two years that addresses the need to abolish the controversial, badly flawed and costly long gun registry. It mimics private members legislation introduced in 2009 by Candice Hoeppner, M.P., which narrowly lost when some NDP and Liberal members flipped their vote at the last minute, despite having previously supported the legislation.

“”The bill is a reflection of the government’s longstanding commitment to scrap the long gun registry, which has been subject to massive cost overruns, repeated breeches of security, chronic inaccuracies and a failure to fulfill its mandate of reducing gun crime and enhancing public safety,”” said Mike Reader, OFAH Executive Director. “”The Prime Minister has consistently pledged to rid us of this costly albatross, which has cost Canadian taxpayers almost $2 billion dollars, and the introduction of the legislation is tangible proof of that commitment. Supporters of the system have repeatedly stated that it works, but have consistently failed to provide anything more than empty rhetoric to support that contention.””

The creation of the long gun registry under Bill C-68 by a previous Liberal government, has focused on legal, licensed, law abiding firearms owners, instead of targeting criminals and prohibited offenders who threaten the public safety, and ignores the reality that criminals don’t register firearms. As a result, the OFAH, provincial and territorial wildlife federations, national and provincial wildlife and outdoor organizations, law abiding firearms owners, hunters, farmers, recreational sport shooters, and many rank and file law enforcement officers have consistently urged the government to scrap the system.

“”The Auditor General of Canada concluded that the system represents one of the biggest messes ever created by a government, and made it clear during previous testimony at Committee, that the Canadian Firearms Centre had been unable to provide fact-based evidence that the registry helps to minimize risks to public safety, or helps to reduce deaths, injuries or threats to the public from the criminal use of firearms. Given the large body of evidence that clearly indicates that the long gun registry doesn’t work, and more particularly, that it has failed miserably as a public safety tool, the government has correctly determined that it is time to end this exercise in futility and look for other more effective means of addressing gun crime,”” added Reader.

With over 100,000 members, subscribers and supporters, and 670 member clubs, the OFAH is the largest nonprofit conservation based organization in Ontario, and the voice of anglers and hunters.

-30-

Media Contacts:

Click here to download the PDF version of this release