Mr. Speaker, why does the government put gun registration ahead of putting more police on the streets? This policy of the government has negatively affected my riding of Dauphin—Swan River.
If safe streets are a priority of the Prime Minister, then the government is spending in the wrong places. Let us look at some facts.
Hundreds and hundreds of RCMP positions remain unfilled throughout the country. There are 39 RCMP positions vacant right now in Manitoba. The RCMP training depot in Regina is currently closed. The new government estimates show the spending of $35 million for gun control and only $13.8 million for the RCMP. Where are the priorities of the government?
Canada has had gun control for over 60 years. No one disputes that need. Wasting hundreds of millions of dollars on a wasteful long gun registry is irresponsible. This money would be better used to put more police officers on the street, or used in health and education or in defence.
I want to read for the record some information obtained through access to information by my colleague the member for Yorkton—Melville on the current registry of long firearms in this country.
The registration system has cost more than $300 million so far. Only $2.9 million in user fees were collected in the last six months of operation. Justice department has still not released the registry's budget for this fiscal year. Cabinet secrecy was used to hide 172 pages of documents on true costs of gun registry. On bureaucrats, as many as 800 paper pushers are now working on the firearms registration scheme. The RCMP have diverted resources from law enforcement to employ 391 on the firearms registry.
Statistics Canada reports that 98% of violent crime victims never encounter firearms. Forty-six percent of all murders are committed with handguns despite a 65 year old handgun registry. Criminal incidents have doubled since 1970 but the number of police officers per capita is dropping.
The RCMP report less than 10% compliance. What use will this be to police? Backlogs are increasing despite a 70% lower than expected number of applications.
A consultants' report states that workflow is inflexible and inefficient at the registry. Only 87,825 photo IDs were issued in the first year of operation; only 2.5 million to 6.5 million to go. Only 260,464 registration certificate numbers have been issued; only six million to 20 million to go. The minister's firearms experts say production must increase from 1,500 per day to 13,500 per day.
On the economic impact, cabinet secrecy was used to hide a 115 page report on the economic impact of the registry. There are still legal challenges ahead. Six provinces and two territories are challenging the registry in the supreme court.
In closing, the government is making the streets of Canada less safe through the headstrong drive to register all long guns in this country. When will the government wake up, quit playing politics and fund the RCMP properly instead of wasting hundreds of millions of dollars on useless long gun registration?