scooter
04-02-2009, 04:24 PM
Niagara Falls Review - April 2, 2009
Local hunters, farmers oppose gun legislation By ALISON LANGLEY , REVIEW STAFF WRITER
http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1506558
Local hunters and farmers are taking aim at the much-maligned long gun registry. Gun control advocates have long argued there is a clear distinction between sport shooters and gun-toting criminals. "As a legally registered owner, this insults me," said Al Oleksuik, outdoor enthusiast and Niagara Falls Review columnist.
The registry was introduced by the Liberal government in 2003 as a way to reduce crime by making all guns traceable. To date, the project has cost taxpayers in excess of $2 billion. "The gun registry has clearly become a white moose. I can't can't call it a white elephant because we're Canadian,"
Oleksuik said. "The frightening part of this is everyone is aware of what an incredible waste of money it has been."
The ongoing controversy over the registry was re-ignited over the weekend after Prime Minister Stephen Harper addressed members of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters in Mississauga.
The PM urged members to press their local opposition MPs to support a private member's bill aimed at eliminating the long gun registry.
Niagara Falls MP and Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said federal resources should target the root of gun violence and not law-abiding Canadians. "We believe the problem with crime in this country is not farmers and duck hunters," he said. "Money and time and effort has to be directed towards the individuals who are actually committing crimes in this country."
Oleksuik supports that idea. "In these times of hardships, there has never been a better time to stop this and to use those funds were they should be used," he said. Jerry Mitrovich, president of the St. Catharines Game and Fish Association, agrees. "I understand the intent (of the registry), but they're really not focusing on what the problem is. When you look at the results, what has it accomplished? There's nothing concrete that I can see that's measurable to show it's done anything to decrease the gun violence out there."
Meanwhile, the gun registry is supported by the Canadian Association of Police Chiefs, which said law enforcement agencies across the country search the registry thousands of times a day.
Police use the registry to check if a residence or property might contain a registered firearm before responding to a call. "This is an officer safety issue," said Det. Gordon Horne, of the firearms unit of the Niagara Regional Police. "We check it automatically before going to a specific location. The registry is very important."
Information from the registry helps police carry out investigations more efficiently and allows them to quickly trace a firearm to its last lawful owner, he added.
As of December 2008, there were 7.3 million registered weapons in Canada. Of that, 2.2 million were registered in Ontario.
Local hunters, farmers oppose gun legislation By ALISON LANGLEY , REVIEW STAFF WRITER
http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1506558
Local hunters and farmers are taking aim at the much-maligned long gun registry. Gun control advocates have long argued there is a clear distinction between sport shooters and gun-toting criminals. "As a legally registered owner, this insults me," said Al Oleksuik, outdoor enthusiast and Niagara Falls Review columnist.
The registry was introduced by the Liberal government in 2003 as a way to reduce crime by making all guns traceable. To date, the project has cost taxpayers in excess of $2 billion. "The gun registry has clearly become a white moose. I can't can't call it a white elephant because we're Canadian,"
Oleksuik said. "The frightening part of this is everyone is aware of what an incredible waste of money it has been."
The ongoing controversy over the registry was re-ignited over the weekend after Prime Minister Stephen Harper addressed members of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters in Mississauga.
The PM urged members to press their local opposition MPs to support a private member's bill aimed at eliminating the long gun registry.
Niagara Falls MP and Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said federal resources should target the root of gun violence and not law-abiding Canadians. "We believe the problem with crime in this country is not farmers and duck hunters," he said. "Money and time and effort has to be directed towards the individuals who are actually committing crimes in this country."
Oleksuik supports that idea. "In these times of hardships, there has never been a better time to stop this and to use those funds were they should be used," he said. Jerry Mitrovich, president of the St. Catharines Game and Fish Association, agrees. "I understand the intent (of the registry), but they're really not focusing on what the problem is. When you look at the results, what has it accomplished? There's nothing concrete that I can see that's measurable to show it's done anything to decrease the gun violence out there."
Meanwhile, the gun registry is supported by the Canadian Association of Police Chiefs, which said law enforcement agencies across the country search the registry thousands of times a day.
Police use the registry to check if a residence or property might contain a registered firearm before responding to a call. "This is an officer safety issue," said Det. Gordon Horne, of the firearms unit of the Niagara Regional Police. "We check it automatically before going to a specific location. The registry is very important."
Information from the registry helps police carry out investigations more efficiently and allows them to quickly trace a firearm to its last lawful owner, he added.
As of December 2008, there were 7.3 million registered weapons in Canada. Of that, 2.2 million were registered in Ontario.