Mr. Chair, the member for Provencher had so many facts wrong, but I know my time is limited. I am surprised that a former minister of justice in the province of Manitoba would stand here like this. He knows full well that long guns are in fact one of the most serious weapons used in the commission of violent crimes. In fact, the use of long guns in crimes exceeds the crimes committed with handguns.
The police are making about 2,000 inquiries a day on the gun registry. I guess he is suggesting that the police sit around and have coffee and just tap into the system for fun. it seems to me that the police are saying this is a useful tool, as my colleague has rightly pointed out.
The member knows full well that RCMP Commissioner Zaccardelli was at the committee and said the resources of the RCMP have gone from $2 billion a year a few years ago to $3 billion a year currently. The commissioner has stated categorically that in the province of Quebec it is not a question of resources. The head count and the resources have stayed exactly the same, and in fact, they have increased.
The member opposite knows full well that in certain provinces like Manitoba the RCMP are contracted services. There is a cost sharing formula, with the RCMP paying 30% and the province paying 70%. The RCMP only responds to demands from the province. It is not for the RCMP federally to say that Manitoba needs more RCMP; it is for the province of Manitoba to request support from the RCMP.
The member knows full well that the crime rates in Canada since 1991 have been on a downward trend consistently and that includes violent crime. Although I will concede that in the last year or two it has stabilized, it has been consistently on a downward trend from 10 years ago.
The member, a former minister of justice, knows these facts. I wonder if he would now care to correct the record.