Madam Speaker, I have before me in excess of 1,000 names on petitions regarding the matter of the over-expenditure on firearms control.
The petitioners make the aspersions that there are at least a number of areas in which they can verify and support their arguments and that is, that the government has failed to provide any conclusive or verifiable evidence that the registration of long guns is preventing crime or keeping guns out of the hands of criminals.
They also claim that the existence of a handgun registry since 1934 has not prevented criminals from obtaining and using illegal handguns to commit crime.
They also claim that eight provinces, three territories, police associations and other area police offices across this country have withdrawn their support of the firearms registry for long guns, and that public opinion all across this country has gone against this issue.
The petitioners, therefore, call upon Parliament to abolish the national firearms registry for long guns and redirect these tax dollars to programs in support of health care and law enforcement.