Online Edition

Bruce Stanton MP

Details: Category: April/May 2012; Published on Thursday, 29 March 2012 02:42

On February 15, I was pleased to stand with my colleagues in Parliament to vote on Bill C-19 (An Act to Amend the Criminal Code and Firearms Act), or as it is more commonly known, the Ending the Long-gun Registry Act.

Scrapping the wasteful, ineffective long-gun registry has been a priority for both myself, and the government, since we took office in 2006. From the day it was introduced, the long-gun registry has been a massive boondoggle, costing taxpayers billions of dollars, without doing anything to reduce crime or improve the safety of our communities. The registry was particularly unfair to rural Canadians, where farming and hunting are part of our way of life. The fact that two NDP MPs from rural areas broke ranks to vote along with the government on this legislation speaks to the importance of this issue in such areas.

I must point out that, even with the end of the long-gun registry, Canada will continue to have stringent licensing requirements for anyone who wishes to own a firearm. Additionally, the end of the registry will have no impact on the regulations in place with respect to restricted or prohibited firearms.

Having passed through the House of Commons, the Bill will now be vetted in the Senate before the Governor General gives it Royal Assent, enshrining it in law.

If you would like more information on this Bill, or any of our government's initiatives relating to public safety, please contact me, or visit www.publicsafety.gc.ca.