Canadian PM seeks to abandon gun registry

March 22, 2009

Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister of Canada, asked hunters and fishermen to contact opposition members of parliament (MPs) to abandon the Canadian Firearms Registry.

Harper was the keynote speaker at the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters conference held Saturday in Mississauga.

Harper asked those attending the rally to support the bill to abolish the registry. He said, "There are MPs in all these parties that know what we know: that law-abiding hunters and farmers are not part of the crime problem, and that you should be respected and not demonized, So I challenge you to press these MPs to follow their consciences and do what they know is right, vote to abolish the long-gun registry and fight crime instead."

"Hunters are not the ones on the streets breaking the law — they're enjoying the sport and the country," said Frank DiRocco, an avid hunter and angler from Woodbridge, Ontario.

"Instead of action on crime, we got the federal long gun registry, which became a bloated bureaucratic nightmare to responsible hunters, farmers and rural Canadians. It cost taxpayers some CA$2 billion and it hasn't done a thing to reduce gun crime." said Harper.

The Conservatives have provided amnesty for unregistered gun owners.

At this time there is no legislation set before the House of Commons. Conservative Garry Breitkreuz from Saskatchewan tabled the bill killing the long-gun registry.