Commentary by Doug Draper
I don’t know about you, but I have just about had it with hearing any more from Canada’s Conservative government about cracking down on crime.
Tory Justice Minister and Niagara Falls MP Rob Nicholson talks tough on crime. So why move to kill long-gun registry?
I am talking about all of this last couple of years of bluster and chest beating – often coming to us through Tory Justice Minister and Niagara Falls MP Rob Nicholson – about getting tougher on violent crime and spending billions of tax dollars that could be spent on health care, on education and so many other worthwhile things on building more prisons.
Here are a few questions for Nicholson and his party about their Texas-style ‘war on crime’.
Why so much emphasis on this when statistics show that the rate of violent crime rate in Canada has actually been going down in recent years? Is this just one more crass way of pandering to a base of voters obsessed with crime and punishment over almost anything else? Or is it a make-work program for lawyers and others in the justice system who haven’t been getting as much business lately because the crime rate has gone down?
And even if the Conservative government sincerely believes tougher measures are in order, how does it reconcile that with getting ready this September 22 to pass a bill that would scrap a long-gun registry chiefs of police across the country say is a useful tool in fighting crime? You would think Nicholson would be among the first to join the Liberals, the Bloc Quebecois and a growing number of federal NDP members in wanting to keep a registry the RCMP says now costs between about $1.1 million and $3.6 million to operate – a drop in the bucket compared to the ridiculous $2 billion the former federal Liberals reportedly spent setting up the registry and the more than $1 billion spent on security at the G8 and G20 summits in Ontario this past June.
Malcolm Allen, the federal NDP member for Welland riding, will vote to save registry
But Nicholson shows no signs of breaking ranks with his fellow Tories, even when police officials he normally lines up with are lobbying as hard as they can to save the registry.
On the federal NDP benches, it is now beginning to look like enough NDP members will vote against anti-registry bill championed by Tory MP Candice Hoeppner to possibly see it defeated in the week ahead. In Niagara, Malcolm Allen, the federal NDP member representing a Welland riding that includes the Port Colborne and Thorold areas (along with a bit of Wainfleet and south St. Catharines) said earlier this week he would vote against the Tory bill.
Allen made his decision known earlier this week and after publicly encouraging his constituents to contact his office and express their views on the registry. A majority said they wanted the registry to stay.
(Click on Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary on matters of interest and concern to residents in our greater Niagara region.)
Niagara At Large 
This is utter tripe….This is the best you can come up with pro-registry?
The firearms registry has nothing do with crime or crime control. It has failed to solve or prevent a single crime, even though it was sold to us on that premise.
There are 220 employees at the CFRA not including every regional firearms officer. You would have us believe that these employees of the Federal Government work for $16 363 per year.. Last year there were 660 000 transfers and registration made at the CFRA, each requires 3 mailings. Being conservative I will say a $1.50 each not including the 3 envelopes. That alone adds up to $990 000 which doesn’t leave much to pay staff, or building maintenance, heat and electricity. The true figure is closer to $ 80 million a year. Stop spreading this pork pie of $3.6 million..
The Chiefs of Police (CAPC ) in 1981 lobbied hard against the inclusion of The Charter of Rights and Freedoms in our Constitution citing that it would “emasculate policing in Canada” They are now coming out lobbying hard to keep the registry. Contrary to popular belief we have only had the registry in operation for 7 years (2003) how do you attribute the registry (that was not in existence) for the drop in crime that has been occurring since the late 70’s .
We have not had to have a licence let alone register our rifles for 133 and 136 years respectively..What on earth did police do before the registry????
11 000 14 000 hits per day is due to an automatic link to CPIC, so every traffic stop , every 911 call generates a hit…Sure real useful…..
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The registry is a waste of money. Criminals commit their crimes with guns that have been stolen from their rightful, law abiding owners.
Crimes committed with any firearm should be punished with stiff and meaningful sentences.
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“I don’t know about you, but I have just about had it with hearing any more from Canada’s Conservative government about cracking down on crime.”
This is an extremely offensive statement. Not because you are aiming it at the CPC, no indeed. It is an offensive statement because of the insinuation that all firearms owners are “criminals in waiting”. This has to stop.
Here is a letter from Robert H.D. Head, Assistant Commissioner – RCMP(rtd.)
Re: Private Members Bill – Hoeppner – Long Gun Registry
Many Canadians will find themselves in a quandary over the recent media reports and political posturing relating to the Hoeppner Bill which calls for abolition of the long gun registry and ONLY the long gun registry.
As a life member of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, I find myself disagreeing with the current Chiefs leadership and I also notice that the Canadian Police Association has altered their position as they too now support retention of the registry. That is not surprising when one considers that political and organizational leadership in large urban centres, i.e. Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, influences the majority of members, in both organizations. (It is interesting to note that two of Canada’s leading innovative Chiefs – Rick Hanson of Calgary and Julian Fantino of Ontario – and many street level police personnel have made it quite clear that the registry is not supported).
While I once believed that common sense would prevail in our federal political process the most recent pressure-influenced political manipulation and caucus whipping does taint ones outlook. To be clear, I was once but am no longer a member of any federal political party.
It should be noted that my opposition to this long gun registry goes back to the introduction of Bill C-68 at a time when we already had acceptable laws for Firearms Acquisition and safe storage. At that time, I was quite vocal in stating that (1) it allowed police too much power re: search and seizure and (2) the data base could be compromised, thus permitting criminals (through unscrupulous employees) to ‘gun shop’ on line via the Canadian Police Information Centre and (3) that the cost would eventually overshadow any benefit to law enforcement and (4) the registry development monies would be better spent by enhancing police budgets for additional staff and equipment.
There is not satisfaction in now stating that most of the comments have rung true! My October 27th, 1998 editorial in the Calgary Herald, titled “Gun registration will fail to prevent tragedies” remains valid.
Many years ago, L.H. Nicholson one of our very respected and astute former RCMP Commissioners was on the mark when he encouraged the federal government of the day to abandon any thought of enlarging the 1934 small arms registry to include long guns. His comments remain true today. Perhaps this is why many folks I have encountered in Alberta and Saskatchewan have no intention of every registering their long guns. If detected, they are lawbreakers but they are prepared to face the legal system rather than have their personal property recorded in a government controlled database. Some estimate that one third to one half of the long guns in possession of, hunters, farmers and ranchers may be unrecorded.
It is now quite common to see quotes from various police leaders and community groups concerning the Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, the Toronto shootings, or the Mayerthorpe, Alberta murders of the RCMP members. Even though some police leaders try to put a positive spin on these cases, I fail to see where any registry, save perhaps one for criminals and the mentally unbalanced, would have prevented any of these atrocities. Regardless of the upcoming registry vote, the proliferation of gangs with illegal weapons will continue unabated.
If the Bloc, the ND’s and the Liberals decide to kill this Bill, then some Provincial leaders (Alberta included) should undertake a complete study for ‘opting-out’ possibilities.
Recent and past political flip-flopping along with MP manipulation certainly does little to enhance my confidence in the decision making process. We should all encourage our elected representatives to stand firm, to think for themselves and vote ‘freely’ in line with their constituent’s wishes! Regardless of the outcome, I suspect that this issue will remain alive.
Sincerely,
Robert H.D. Head
Assistant Commissioner – RCMP(rtd.)
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The firearm registry is a failure. It failed to prevent Montreal school shootings… it failed to prevent the Mayerthorpe RCMP shootings… it failed to prevent Toronto gang shootings… and relying on it contributed to the death of Montreal police Constable Daniel Tessier.
Firearm registration has neither prevented nor solved a single crime.
Registration can’t prevent anyone from acquiring an illegal firearm, nor prevent anyone from doing anything illegal, immoral, or stupid with a firearm.
As for the bogus 11,000 checks per day figure… EVERY TIME a police officer runs a check on a license plate or driver license, it triggers an automatic firearm registry check.
Police check things… it’s what they do. We pay so they can check.
For example, Niagara Regional Police – municipal employees – received a criminally high pay raise from a provincial employee.
Recently the NRP crowed about wasting its resources – our property taxes – by setting up roadblocks to harass thousands of innocent drivers… instead of seeking out truly impaired drivers or going after dangerous criminals.
So it’s no surprise that NRP chief Wendy Southall also supports the wasteful firearm registry.
Of these checks we pay for, the firearm registry is the most expensive and dangerous.
The Registry is dangerous, because it provides criminals with shopping lists where guns are stored. RCMP admit the Registry has been compromised hundreds of times.
So instead of reducing crime, the Firearm Registry increases crime. The longer the Registry data exists, the more often criminals will access it.
The sooner the Registry is scrapped, the safer we all will be.
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