Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister, for your attendance here today and for your good work on this and other bills.
I always shake my head in disbelief when my friends on the opposite side of the table raise Mayerthorpe as somehow being an example of success with the long-gun registry. Although it is true that there was a weapon traced to the grandfather of an individual who was subsequently convicted of aiding and abetting four homicides, it was done through a very elaborate “Mr. Big“ sting operation, which was the likely real cause of that conviction—and a debate for another day. But the reality is that the long-gun registry did nothing to save the lives of four brave mounted police on that March morning in Mayerthorpe, Alberta.
My friend, Mr. Harris, in his premise to his question also referred to your preference for a so-called unregulated system. There's much confusion, and I suspect it's deliberate, from the opponents of this legislation, the people who support the long-gun registry, on the whole issue between licensing and registration.
As you know, Mr. Minister, I come from Alberta. In western Canada support for the long-gun registry is perhaps the lowest you'll find anywhere in Canada. Even in my province, some media sources, some bloggers and others, have envisioned people walking down the streets of Edmonton with concealed weapons or rifles, shooting them up in the air in a sort of wild-west scenario. But I think you and I know that nothing could be further from the truth.
For the people who are watching at home, I was wondering if you could once again clarify the issues as between registration and licensing.