Mr. Speaker, the premise upon which the question is based is fundamentally flawed.
The introduction of a national registration system will not only enhance community safety, but it will choke off one of the important sources of supply for criminals getting hold of guns.
In terms of the cost, the provincial attorney general in Alberta is reported to have referred to the sum of $500,000. He did not indicate how he arrived at that sum.
Last week we published as a federal government our estimate of the cost. We fully expect that to be a very reliable estimate in all the circumstances.