Secret Liberal report on Gun Registry

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

For Release April 19, 2011

Outdoor Network requests release of firearms studies

Canada's Outdoor Network, representing over 500,000 outdoor enthusiasts
across the country, is calling for the release of a long-buried Liberal study on the
effectiveness of the controversial long gun registry.

In 2004, after admitting there were "flaws" in the long gun registry, former Liberal
Prime Minister Paul Martin appointed Cabinet Minister, Albina Guarnieri, to
undertake a thorough review of the registry. Gaurnieri spent three months criss-
crossing the country, talking to stakeholder groups and firearms owners while
compiling a document that would support the Prime Minister's personal promise
to firearms groups that changes would be coming. However, Ms. Guarnieri's full
report, much like a previous report by Liberal MP Shaughnessy Cohen in the
1990s, has never been made public. Both reports remain protected by Cabinet
confidentiality.

As part of their election platform, the Liberal party has included its vision of
a "new and improved" long gun registry, hoping to convince Canadians that they
have a solution to the ongoing debate over the badly flawed firearms system they
created. The acknowledgement that change is needed, stands in direct contrast
to comments made by Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff last fall, when he made it
clear that the Liberal policy is "strict and unrelenting gun control."

"Mr. Ignatieff claims he is against secrecy and withholding information from the
public", says Greg Illebrun, firearms spokesperson for the Outdoor Network. "If
this is so, why won't he release the results of his own party's study of the long
gun registry done by Liberal MPs in 2004. What is he afraid of? Do these reports
make it clear how many tens of millions the Liberals have wasted on a program
with no positive results, while effective public safety programs are ignored for
political expediency? It's time Mr. Ignatieff walks his own talk and shows us the
report now."

It is the goal of the Outdoor Network, says Illebrun, to make sure all Canadians
understand the concerns of outdoors enthusiasts in Canada. Illebrun says
the divisive registry debate underlines a lack of tolerance for a lifestyle largely
misunderstood in some urban centres. He believes attacks on legitimate gun
owners demonstrate a lack of tolerance that is "un-Canadian".

Canada's Outdoor Network

Alberta Fish and Game Association
Alberta Outdoors Coalition
BC Trappers Association

BC Wildlife Federation
BCWF Political Action Alliance
Canadian Institute for Legislative Action
Canadian Section of the Wildlife Society
Canadian Shooting Sports Association
Canadian Sporting Arms and Ammunition Association
Delta Waterfowl Foundation
Fédération Québecoise des Chasseurs et Pecheurs
Fur Institute of Canada
Friends of Fur
Hunting for Tomorrow Foundation
Long Point Waterfowl
Long Point Waterfowlers Association
Manitoba Wildlife Federation
National Wild Turkey Federation
New Brunswick Wildlife Federation
Newfoundland and Labrador Wildlife Federation
Northwestern Ontario Sportsmen's Alliance
Nova Scotia Federation of Anglers and Hunters
Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters
Prince Edward Island Trappers Association
Prince Edward Island Wildlife Federation
Ruffed Grouse Society
Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation
Yukon Fish and Game Association

For more information:

Greg Illebrun, Firearms Chair
Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation
And,
Firearms Spokesperson
Canada's Outdoor Network
Home Tel: 306- 773- 1326
Work Tel: 306- 773- 3240

[FriscoCounty]

Last year, when California was looking at developing its own gun registry, I did some research into Canada's and came up with the following.

An analysis of Canadian crime statistics would show that the Canadian Firearms registry has little to no effect on murder, suicide, or violent crime.  Granted, since its inception the use of guns over all in crimes has decreased by 6% and by 10% in commercial robberies.  However, transit crimes have increased and  home invasions have increased 38% in since the of Firearms registry law was enacted.  As for the murder rate, it has fluctuated between 1.74/100K and 2.06/100K since 1994, with the peaks being in 1994 and 2005.  

The Canadian government did a detailed analysis of murders that occurred in 2006 when those statistics were released.  That year firearms accounted for 28% of murders, whereas 35% of the murders were the result of stabbing.  The murder weapon was recovered only 25% of the time in firearm related murders and, of those, only 18 of the recovered firearms were in the registry. 10 of the recovered firearms had already been reported as stolen.  Resulting in the registry only 'helping' to identify the owner in 8 cases. That's right the owner, no necessarily the murderer.  

As for the the cost, The Canadian Firearms Registry has cost over 1 Billion CDN in the first 10 years of its operation and now continues to cost an estimated 119 Million CDN annually to operate.

If you want to look this up yourself, all the statistics can be found at http://www.statcan.gc.ca

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Thanks Frisco;  We are in the final stages of a national election and the stakes are very high for gunowners.  The Liberal Leader, has signalled he will drive ahead full bore to correct the weaknesses in the current registry.  Then when he realized that was not the wisest thing to say he became a bit more equivocal, but we all know that the registry was a Liberal creation.  The timing of this release is intended to point to the futility of gun control

[PJ Hardtack]

Even if the CPC gets back into power with a slim majority, it is moot as to whether or not they will scrap the registry.
My gut feeling is that they gain a few more seats and form yet another minority government.

It matters not really, as long as WE, the gun owners are licenced and registered. Once vetted by going through the hoops, it ought to be for life until such time as you criminally misuse your guns.

Licencing is a can of worms, the argument being that as a driver, you, your car, are licenced and registered. So is your dog. You occasionally have to renew your driver's licence, but not the vehicle registration - until you sell it. Licencing and registration do nothing to prevent theft or misuse.

[Buffalo Creek Law Dog]

Remember all you Canucks, this coming Monday vote as you please but, please vote Conservative.

[Garand]

Well it is obvious that we did get out to vote, the bill to abolish has passed 2nd reading, it is on its way out!

[PJ Hardtack]

Garand

Yes, we gave the CPC the majority they asked for; something we denied the old Reform party. "The West wants in!" - Preston Manning. Did we make it?

Once the bill passes third and final reading, it gets referred to the Senate where it can be returned to the House for amendment and committee review. Since I believe that the Senate is currently stacked with Conservatives, this is unilkely.

I behooves us to note just who votes against the bill, regardless of party affiliation. It has taken the Canadian public a long time to see the big lie behind the smoke screen of 'gun control' as a means of crime deterrent. The millions of Canadian paper criminals who never complied will cease to live in fear of their lives being turned upside down for lack of a piece of paper.

However, being the old dog that I am, I will believe it when it happens. I've been fighting this travesty since Ron Basford was Justice minister under PET. From the get go, I was appalled at the apathy of Canadian gun owners, many who simply couldn't believe that their gov't would do this to them.
The surest way to get space around yourself at a shooting event was to generate political talk. We were our own worst enemies, preferring to let others do the work for us. Others thought that THEIR guns and sport was OK, but not others.

Well, that is all history; the lesson of a bad law learned. I hope that others profit by our expensive failure. God bless Canada!

[Short Knife Johnson]

I would have been happy if it was only tens of millions of dollars wasted.    Not billions and counting, the violation of my private life AND the constant risk of having my life turned upside down to be hung out to dry by someone with a grudge making false accusations or an LEO with a bad attitude.  It's OK, I'm in my happy place now. 

Here is a simple illustration of what drives the leftards.  I'm not a big fan of the extreme right either, I just pray someday to have a nice middle ground but not holding my breath for that day.