Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Saskatoon--Humboldt for the opportunity to provide some context for his comments.
In his question the hon. member stated that the federal government's important public safety initiative, the Firearms Act, was passed in 1994. To clarify, Bill C-68 was actually introduced in the House on February 14, 1995 and received royal assent December 12, 1995.
Let us also be clear that the public safety program is much more than a gun registry. It is a multifaceted practical approach that addresses the prevention of firearm death and injury, and crime deterrence.
The screening of all gun owners, tracking of firearms and minimum sentencing help deter, prevent and prosecute firearm crime. That is why Canada's law enforcement community recognizes and supports the firearms program as an important public safety initiative.
In fact, information on firearms and their owners is a critical tool in police investigations. It allows firearms to be traced back to their original owner. It enables police officers to take preventive action, such as the removal of firearms when they are responding to volatile situations. It sometimes provides a system of tracking firearms and their owners that helps identify and crack down on the illegal movement of firearms.
The premise of the hon. member's question is flawed. It assumes that the introduction of a bill equals its immediate implementation. The hon. member should well know that the firearms program is not yet fully implemented.
Canadian firearms owners were required to be licensed to possess and acquire firearms as of January 1, 2001. That is the licensing process. All licensed firearms owners must register all their guns by the end of this year. Only next year will comprehensive licensing and firearms registration be fully in force. Only in the years that follow will we be able to analyze and attribute any change in firearm violence.
Let us look at some facts. Assume for a moment, as the hon. member has, that 1994 is a valid starting point. In 1994 according to the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, there were 196 firearm homicides in Canada. In 2000, which is the last year for which statistics are available, there were 183. There was a decrease of 13 homicides, and not the 3% increase the hon. member's question suggested. In fact, the number of firearm homicides in 2000 was significantly lower than the 200 homicide average for the previous 10 years, that is, between 1990 and 1999. I should add that the overall homicide rate in Canada is at its lowest level since 1967.
This is good news. It can only get better with the continuous screening of all applicants and licence holders to ensure that they pose no risk to their community, to their family or to themselves.
Our government's commitment clearly is public safety. The hon. member for Saskatoon--Humboldt and his colleagues opposite would ask us to ignore the deadly reality of domestic violence. That is as wrong as the premise of the hon. member's question.
I thank the hon. member for the opportunity to bring these facts to the attention of the House.