Canada set to repeal registration of hunting rifles, shotguns ...

4/6/2010 8:48:00 AM

After nearly 20 years, Canada appears poised to end one of its boldest experiments in gun control - the required registration of long guns, or shotguns and hunting rifles.

Last November, a bill to abolish the Long-Gun Registry, enacted in 1995 and gradually phased in through 2003, passed a second reading in the Canadian House of Commons by a tally of 164 to 137. It faces a third and final reading in that chamber later this year; prospects are good for passage in the Canadian Senate.

The bill would delete from federal law the obligation to register so-called nonrestricted firearms, though licensing requirements for long-gun owners to buy or possess firearms and to buy ammunition would remain in place.

The legislation would also require all registration information collected to date to be destroyed.

About 7 million long guns have been registered, but as many as 8 million guns, according to various estimates, have not been in what many say is outright defiance. The Conservative government has also extended to May 16, 2011, an existing amnesty for rifle and shotgun owners facing charges for failing to register their firearms.

Opponents cite runaway costs, gun rights, and lack of effectiveness in pushing the repeal measure. The author of the legislation, MP Candice Hoeppner, says the registration requirement pays lip service to reducing crime without actually doing so.

"Canadian taxpayers have shelled out $2 billion and counting to hassle hunters, farmers and sport shooters with registration requirements, while receiving nothing in return in crime reduction or prevention," Hoeppner told a recent gathering of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH).
http://www.lakelandtimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=9&SubSectionID=9&ArticleID=11192

# The Firearms Act was passed in 1995 establishing a program to license all owners of firearms in Canada, and a registration program for firearms.

# A major change in the gun control system was that all firearms, including rifles and shotguns not just restricted weapons, would have to be registered. That meant a significant increase in the number of gun owners subject to controls.

# The law was gradually phased in up to January 2003.

# 1995 estimates of the cost of the Canadian Firearms Program were that it would cost $119 million, but registration fees would bring in $117 million, leaving the total cost to the taxpayers of $2 million.

# A preliminary audit released in the Auditor General Report 2002 revealed that the Department of Justice was estimating the gun registry program would cost more than $1 billion by 2004-05, and collect about $140 million in fees. This estimate did not include all financial impacts on the government. emphasis added

# After the release of the 2002 audit, the Department of Justice hired an outside consultant to review the program and in 2003 announced a Gun Control Action Plan to reduce costs and improve management of the gun control program.

# In the follow-up Auditor General Report 2006 in May 2006, the Auditor General said that although the Canada Firearms Centre had made progress on financial reporting, on two occasions the Liberal government did not report significant overruns of tens of millions of dollars for the gun registry computer system.

# Responding to the May 2006 Auditor General Report, the Conservative government announced plans to dismantle the long-gun portion of the gun registry, including a one-year amnesty for previously licensed owners on the registration and licensing of long guns, but to leave the gun registry in place for restricted weapons and handguns.
http://canadaonline.about.com/od/guncontrol/i/gunregistry.htm