WHEREAS the federal government committed to the taxpayers of Canada that the National Firearms Registry for long guns under Bill C-68 would cost no more than 2 million dollars; AND WHEREAS the Auditor Generals Report submitted to Parliament on December 3, 2002 determined that the minimum cost of the federal Firearms Registry for long guns will exceed 1 billion; AND WHEREAS an administrative review by a consultant for the Justice Department verified that the Gun Registry will cost an additional 541 million before being fully implemented, and another 1 billion to operate; and that these spending estimates do not include the cost of associated programs; AND WHEREAS the Canadian Taxpayers Federation recently announced that it believes the Firearms Registry for long guns will cost the taxpayers of Canada at least 2 billion; AND WHEREAS the Auditor General of Canada determined that the Justice Department has consistently failed to provide both Members of Parliament and the Auditor General with accurate information regarding the cost overruns of the Registry; AND WHEREAS the government has failed to provide any conclusive or verifiable evidence that the registration of long guns is preventing crime or keeping guns out of the hands of criminals; AND WHEREAS the money spent on the Firearms Registry for long guns would have provided MRIs for every hospital in Canada, or provided for the hiring of at least 10,000 police officers; AND WHEREAS municipalities across Canada are in dire need of funding to assist with the provision of local services including public transit, the maintenance of local infrastructure such as roads, bridges, sewers and hospitals, and local law enforcement; AND WHEREAS eight provinces, three territories, police associations, police chiefs and police officers across Canada have withdrawn their support of the Firearms Registry for long guns; five recent public opinion polls have demonstrated that a majority of Canadian taxpayers support the abolition of the Firearms Registry in favour of spending on other national priorities; and six provinces are refusing to prosecute charges associated with the Firearms Registry: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of BC Municipalities call upon Parliament to abolish the unworkable National Firearms Registry for long guns; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the tax dollars being spent on the Registry be redirected to programs in support of municipal infrastructure, health care, education and local law enforcement.
Ministry of Public Safety Emergency Preparedness Canada The Government of Canada continuously focuses on ways to improve the Canadian Firearms Program. Following a series of consultations conducted by the Canada Firearms Centre CAFC in the fall of 2003 and a ministerial review earlier this year conducted by my colleague, the Honourable Albina Guarnieri, then Associate Minister of National Defence and Minister of State Civil Preparedness, which involved organizations representing firearm owners, firearm-related businesses and groups with interest in and responsibilities for public health and safety, steps have been taken to ensure that the CAFC continues to meet its important public safety objectives in a fiscally responsible, operationally sound manner. As part of measures put in place to ensure a high degree of transparency and accountability for public funds, the CAFC has become a separate agency within the portfolio of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada. It has its own budget and, as the Minister responsible, I will report to Parliament on all future expenditures. Currently, information concerning the allocation of funds of the Canadian Firearms Program is available in the CAFC publication, Departmental Performance Report of 2003-2004, which provides financial and performance information about the Program. This document is available on the CAFC Web site at www.cvc-cafc.gc.ca. On May 20, 2004, the Government of Canada implemented a comprehensive package of improvements aimed at controlling Canadian Firearms Program costs and enhancing the capacity of law enforcement agencies to combat gun crime. Among these improvements, the Government will cap funding for firearms registration activities at 25 million per year, starting next fiscal year. Efforts to combat gun crime and smuggling will be improved by expanding the use of new technologies for more effective crime scene investigation and through other measures to support coordinated law enforcement. In addition, the Government is committed to consult provincial Attorneys General on proposed Criminal Code amendments to establish tougher measures when firearms are used in a crime. Further, in recognition of the firearms communitys concerns, the Government has committed to streamline the firearms licence renewal process. Also, fees for the registration and transfer of firearms were repealed. In the long term, the elimination of registration and transfer fees will benefit all firearm owners who wish to acquire a firearm or transfer a firearm to someone else. By encouraging continued compliance with the registration requirement, it will also help ensure that the Canadian Firearms Information System CFIS remains an effective tracking tool for helping the police and other public safety officials prevent crime and injuries. Compliance rates are high. About 90 percent of firearm owners have complied with licensing requirements, which counts for almost two million licensed firearm owners to date. There are an estimated 7.9 million firearms in Canada, close to seven million of which are registered with the Canada Firearms Centre. Working with federal and provincial partners, the Canadian Firearms Program also develops and oversees safety education and awareness for firearm owners, businesses and the public, licenses firearm owners, supports firearm users in ensuring the safe storage and handling of firearms and assists in the recovery of lost or stolen firearms. In addition, the Program helps to ensure certain import controls are in place to combat firearms smuggling and to assist in meeting Canadas international commitments, with the involvement of the Canada Border Services Agency and other federal departments. The National Weapons Enforcement Support Team NWEST - a National Police Service managed by the RCMP - assists police investigations and helps to track stolen and illegal guns to their source across the country, and internationally. Since it was established in January 2001, NWEST has helped with over 10,000 police investigations, conducted over 4,000 firearm traces, assisted with over 600 search warrants, and provided over 900 technical information sessions to the policing community on investigation techniques including the appropriate use of databases such as: the Canadian Police Information Centre, the Canadian Firearms Information System, the Canadian Firearms Registry Online, and the Integrated Ballistic Identification System. The Canadian Firearms Registry is one part of the Firearms Program responsible for the registration of firearms, including when a firearm is transferred to a new owner and upon import or manufacture. Police have direct online access to the licensing and registration database and they use it daily through the Canadian Firearms Registry Online CFRO service. With the help of this essential tool, police make approximately 14,000 queries to the on-line system each week to support their efforts to prevent and investigate crime. Over three million queries have been made on the CFRO by police and other public safety officials since the Program was first implemented in December 1998. In addition, more than 1,000 affidavits are produced each year by the CAFC to support prosecutions of gun-related crimes across the country. For these reasons and others, both the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and the Canadian Professional Police Association CPPA independently support the Firearms Program including the registration of all firearms. In fact, at its most recent Annual General Meeting, the CPPA passed a resolution to this effect. Statistics over the last 30 years have shown a clear general downward trend in firearm crimes and misuse. nevertheless, more than one thousand firearm deaths per year in Canada over the last decade remind us of the need for firearms control. With more than 12,000 firearms licence applications refused or revoked on public safety grounds since December 1, 1998, when the Firearms Act came into effect, it is clear that the Firearms Program has contributed, and will continue to contribute, to safe communities. The Government of Canada remains committed to the Firearms Program, which is designed to enhance public safety by reducing the number of firearms-related injuries and deaths while allowing licensed firearm owners to safely own and use a firearm for legitimate purposes.
FCM At its 2005 Annual Convention, the FCM classified this resolution as a category D resolution, meaning that it is a matter dealt with in the previous three years and is in accordance with established FCM policy.