Madam Speaker, during our winter break I had the opportunity to meet with the North Peace Rod and Gun Club to reiterate our government's commitment to ending the long gun registry. For far too long law-abiding farmers and hunters in my riding have been made to feel like criminals for simply owning a rifle or a shotgun.
Next week will begin the final stages of ending the wasteful and ineffective long gun registry once and for all, fulfilling a long-standing commitment our government has made to law-abiding Canadians like the members of the North Peace Rod and Gun Club. By eliminating the long gun registry, we can focus our efforts on more effective ways to tackle crime and protect families and communities. Since it was created, the long gun registry has cost literally billions of dollars. This money should be used to crack down on the real criminals, not law-abiding Canadians.