Mr. Speaker, the member referred on more than one occasion to wasting $1 billion. Coming from an area where the gun issue was not as pronounced as it is in some areas of the country, we have to inform ourselves a little more about some of the facts.
With regard to the $1 billion, I was surprised to find out that the Auditor General had discovered that some 80% of the applications to register firearms in fact were incomplete or incorrect. This was a deliberate action, a protest as it were, by firearms owners. As a consequence, there was a requirement to invest in a lot more human resources to process those applications. The magnitude of that, I understand, was that over $300 million was spent to correct or to do the human intervention into a process that should have been computerized.
In addition, because of the protest activity that was going on, a substantial amount of money was also spent on advertising. I understand that figure was in excess of $200 million to make sure that the correct information was in front of Canadians and to encourage Canadians that the registry is important. That was a responsible action.
Also, the Auditor General reported that the $1 billion was not spent, but it was a projected number to 2005. What had been spent up to the date of the report was only about $600 million, I am advised, subject to check.
Having said that, I understand that delay and disruption is part of the democratic governing principles. People have a right to protest. However, it reminds me of the kids in Los Angeles who trashed their own community and said “There, take that”.
Why is it there would be a protest? Why is it the website was clogged up at the last minute so that people could not register? It was a protest. I think the member should acknowledge that the consequences of that process were the real reason that additional moneys were spent, that money was not lost, but in fact it was caused by those who disagreed with the law.