Long-Gun Registry Headed for the Ash Heap

Ottawa – Today the House of Commons finished voting on the Conservative bill that will kill the long-gun registry for good.  The final vote tally was 159 in favour, 130 against.  157 Conservatives and two NDP MPs voted in favour.  No Liberal or Bloc Quebecois MPs voted in favour of the bill.

Bill C-19 was introduced in October and will now be reviewed by the Senate before becoming law.  The bill is expected to easily pass all votes in the Senate, where the Conservative government’s Senators also form the majority.

Local MP Scott Reid voted to eliminate the Long-Gun Registry calling the registry a wrong-headed and intrusive government program that should never have existed in the first place.

“I know that I and all of my Conservative colleagues have been working for a dog’s age to get rid of the long-gun registry,” commented Reid.  “We opposed it when the Liberals brought it in, we’ve opposed it ever since, and now that we have a Majority government, we’re doing something about it.”

First introduced in 1993 by Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chretien’s government, the long-gun registry legally required long-gun owners to register their firearms by January 1, 2003.

Since taking office in 2006, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservatives have tried to eliminate the long-gun registry a few times before, but were out-voted by the Opposition MPs which dominated the House of Commons and outnumbered the Conservatives.

Because the Conservatives now have a Majority in the House of Commons, the legislation that will remove the legal requirement that long-gun owners register their firearms has been passed by the House of Commons.

Another provision of this bill will provide for the destruction of all records pertaining to the registration of long-guns currently contained in the Canadian Firearms Registry and under the control of the chief firearms officers.

Under the proposed reforms, firearms owners will still require a valid firearm licence to buy or possess firearms and to purchase ammunition.  They will also be required to undergo police background checks, pass a firearms safety training course and comply with firearms safe storage and transportation requirements, just as they do now.

“I’m proud that our Conservative government is focusing on criminals rather than long-gun owners who haven’t broken the law,” Reid stated.  “That’s why we’re putting more police on our streets and fighting organized crime.”

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For further information contact:

Phil Joannou
Communications Assistant to Scott Reid, MP
613-947-2277

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