Ottawa, October 25th, 2011 — Today, in the House of Commons, the Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, introduced the Ending the Long-Gun Registry Act.
The Minister made the announcement alongside the Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism), and Candice Hoeppner, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, in Richmond, Ontario, where they met with various stakeholders who support the long-gun registry’s abolition.
“The Harper Government has always been clear; by eliminating the wasteful and ineffective long-gun registry, we can instead focus our efforts on measures that actually tackle crime and make our streets and communities safe,” said Minister Toews. “Our Government will continue to uphold our commitment to effective gun control measures that help keep firearms out of the hands of criminals and off our streets.”
The legislation introduced today will:
- Repeal the requirement to register non-restricted firearms (long-guns);
- 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; and
- Maintain controls over restricted and prohibited firearms.
Under the proposed reforms, firearms owners will still require a valid firearm licence to purchase 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. In addition, individuals will continue to be required to register prohibited and restricted firearms, such as handguns.
“The Harper Government is committed to putting the safety of Canadians first with real action on crime that delivers enhanced protection for communities,” said Parliamentary Secretary Hoeppner. “That is why our government is investing in a number of effective measures such as putting more police on our streets, fighting organized crime, introducing mandatory minimum penalties for serious gun crime and combating gun smuggling.”
The introduction of this legislation is consistent with the Government’s efforts to ensure our firearms laws target real criminals and protect the safety of the public.
For an online version of the legislation, visit: www.parl.gc.ca.
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