Gun enthusiasts from across Saskatchewan celebrated last weekend the passing of the much-despised long gun registry with the MP who is largely credited with killing it.
Garry Breitkreuz, Yorkton-Melville member-of-parliament, has long battled to bring an end to provisions in The Firearms Act, 1993, that required registration of all non-restricted weapons.
"Many licenced gun owners living in this riding use legally-obtained rifles for legitimate reasons," he told dozens of supporters who participated in a skeet-shoot at the Yorkton Wildlife Club on Saturday ushering out the legislation with a bang. "I am thankful for the support my constituents have given me throughout the 17 years as I worked to expose the registry for what it was, wasteful and ineffective."
Breitkreuz originally attempted to quash the registry with a private member's bill in 2009. Bill C-391 passed two readings in the House of Commons, but was eventually narrowly defeated 153-151 on third reading after Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff whipped Liberal MPs to vote against it.
When the Conservative Party finally won a majority government in 2001, it quickly introduced Bill C-19, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Firearms Act, sponsored by Vic Toews, public safety minister. The bill became law in April, but this does not mean all guns are exempt from registration. All restricted and prohibited firearms must still be registered and everyone still needs a firearms licence in order to possess any firearm including an unrestricted long gun.
Over the 19 years the long gun registry was in effect, it cost Canada more than $2 billion despite initial estimates that the net operating cost would be $2 million per year. In addition to spiraling costs, critics of the legislation have cited problems such as ineffective filing, including improper data entry, and inaccurate categorization they said made the registry hard to use and unreliable. Nevertheless, it always maintained the support of law enforcement officials and remained popular in large urban centres.
Ultimately, though, it was an emotional issue, particularly in rural areas where legal gun owners felt they were unfairly targeted as summed up by one participant at Saturday's event.
"No criminal will register their gun prior to utilizing it in a robbery, the registry was a waste of money."
