The federal Conservatives tabled Bill C-19 last week to repeal the long debated long-gun registry, and Westlock-St. Paul MP Brian Storseth is behind the bill 100 per cent.
“(The registry) has been a tremendous waste of taxpayers’ dollars, over $2 billion dollars,” said Storseth, via phone interview from Ottawa. He has spoken with frontline officers in the area about the registry and feels officers support the move to get rid of the registry.
A similar sentiment resonates in the community.
“I was against it (when it was introduced), to me it never made any sense,” said Darryl Lotoski, owner of Warehouse Sports in St. Paul, a business dealing in hunting and fishing products.
“I think it’s wonderful if they throw it out,” said Lotoski, adding, he believes “it’s been a waste of money.”
One of the main arguments from proponents of ending the registry is that it targets law-abiding citizens.
“To me, long guns, hunting, fishing, trapping, these are a cultural part of our heritage in northern Alberta,” said Storseth. “If you support the registry, I can only assume that you support it because you believe it gives you some level of security.”
Storseth said steps are being taken to increase jail sentences and to make it harder for repeat offenders to get out of jail as part of the government’s changes to the criminal justice system. “That is really what we should be concentrating on,” said Storseth.
Floyd Kunnas, a member with St. Paul Fish and Game, said he sees both pros and cons with the long-gun registry. Having a national registry was good if firearms were stolen, since they could be tracked across the country, he said. It was useful for insurance purposes, he added.
The original intent of the registry as it dealt with public safety was a good thing, said Kunnas, but he believes the registry did not live up to the “intent of the legislation.”
According to a press release received from Storseth’s office, “Under the proposed reforms, firearms owners will still require a valid firearms licence to purchase or possess firearms and to purchase ammunition.”
Gun owners are still “required to undergo police background checks, pass a firearms safety training course and comply with firearms safe storage and transportation requirements.” Canadians must still register prohibited and restricted firearms.
Overall, Kunnas is in favour of the bill to repeal the registry, “on the grounds that records are destroyed.”
After last week’s bill was tabled, Quebec spoke out against the idea that all information in the registry would be destroyed.
“The information that is contained in the registry is the registry itself,” said Storseth, adding if the registry is eliminated, so will the information in the registry. He noted if provinces are interested in compiling their own long-gun registries, the federal government will not assist them.
Speaking with constituents, Storseth said “People are overwhelmingly in favour of eliminating the long gun registry,” and it is the number one issue he receives feedback on.
The Firearms Act was created by Bill C-68 and received Senate approval in 1995.
Registration began in 2001 and by the Jan. 1, 2003 deadline, 75 per cent of gun owners had registered their non-restricted firearms.
