Anne McLellan

[Supply, September 22nd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, this morning I spoke at a press conference and thanked Canadians for their ongoing support of our government's firearms control program.

I specifically thanked CAVEAT, Victims of Violence International, La Fondation des victimes du 6 décembre, the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime and the family members of victims who are here to ask the government to hold firm and implement its plan.

I also took the opportunity to thank the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, municipalities, educators, child support agencies and the almost 700 member agencies of the coalition for gun control which have been tireless supporters of this program. These are the people who have learned through painful experience the terrible tragedies that can occur when firearms are not safely stored, when firearms fall into the hands of children, when police are asked to deal with a domestic violence call and have no knowledge of whether firearms are at play or when an illegal firearms industry develops with inadequate controls in place.

Today opponents of gun control are demonstrating on Parliament Hill. Some will make wild and outlandish claims. Let me make one thing clear. We will not be deterred by inflammatory and irresponsible rhetoric.

The vast majority of Canadians support gun control. Support for gun control today, including support for registration, is at its highest level ever, at 80% in some polls. Today a majority of gun owners support gun control. Canadians have debated the merits of gun control for several years. Canadians have decided they believe in gun control. The debate is settled. The debate is over. Gun control will be implemented on December 1.

Canadians are law abiding citizens. I understand that when angry, people can make outlandish and even irresponsible statements but I know the vast majority of gun owners respect and obey the law. So I say once again to those who demonstrate today that they have nothing to fear from me or from this government. My commitment is to ensure that gun control is implemented in the fairest and most efficient way possible.

The Firearms Act is about building a culture of safety around the use of firearms. Through it we hope to achieve many things. Firearms registration and licensing of all gun owners will help keep firearms away from people who should not have them. It will encourage awareness on the part of gun owners of the essential responsibility they have for their firearms, including their safe use and the importance of safe storage and transportation.

A central processing site is already in service in Miramichi, New Brunswick. All applications will go through there. Owners will be able to get a form through a toll free line, at a post office or a gun shop. They can fill it in at home and send it in. Visits to the police will no longer be required. This will allow our police to spend their time and resources on police work and not on preliminary paperwork. Starting December 1 for a one time cost of $10 firearms owners will be able to register all their firearms. They will register on forms made simple after consultations with the firearms community.

We have taken every step we can to ensure the registration and licensing of firearms in Canada is hassle free and easily affordable. I have every confidence that firearms owners, once they participate in the program, will discover that their concerns were groundless.

Hunting is an activity that has been enjoyed by many Canadians for generations. To farmers firearms are needed to protect crops. Target shooting is a sport at which Canada excels internationally. Firearms for some are needed for sustenance and are part of a way of life. All these activities are legitimate and will not be hampered in any way by gun control.

Let me make it perfectly clear, the Government of Canada unequivocally respects the legitimate rights of gun owners. Our new Firearms Act is not about confiscation. Such fears were raised when gun control was first introduced in Canada in the 1970s. They are being raised again today but they are as groundless as they were then.

Today's debate is essentially about values. Canadians have told us that they want effective gun control. Polling shows that a majority of Canadians in every province support the universal registration of firearms.

Our government and our Prime Minister will stand with the Canadian police, victims of firearms crime and accidents, law abiding gun owners and all Canadians who care about safer communities.

[Justice, June 10th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, my department is reviewing the Rosenberg decision. I will be providing legal advice to my colleague the Minister of Finance in relation to the Rosenberg decision. As with all decisions in this area, we will review their implications for either the Income Tax Act or other federal laws.

[Casinos On Cruise Ships, June 10th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, as a government we understand the importance of this aspect of tourism to the province and people of Quebec. In fact I will be making an announcement in this regard very soon.

[Division No. 212, June 9th, 1998]

moved that the bill, as amended, be concurred in.

[Justice, June 3rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all members of the House to take this opportunity to work with their local communities to develop grassroots crime prevention strategies.

[Justice, June 3rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, this is a government that puts the protection of society first. It is also a government that believes the prevention of crime in the first place is the best way to protect society.

That is why my colleague, the solicitor general, and I announced the government's new crime prevention initiative yesterday. It involves 32 million new dollars to work with local communities to get at the root causes of crime—

[Crime Prevention, June 3rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, no one, including the solicitor general and I, has hidden this policy. We have been talking about this for months.

Yesterday we made that announcement at a youth centre in this city where an entire community has turned itself around because of that youth centre. That is why we were there. That is an example of what this government stands for.

[Crime Prevention, June 3rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, let me clarify for the hon. member that what I said was that as a society we should all be concerned about the fact that we spend over, conservatively estimated, $32 billion a year on the back end of the justice system to investigate crime, to prosecute it and to keep people in jail. My point was that we as a society need to take leadership in preventing crime, and that is exactly what this government did yesterday.

[Crime Prevention, June 3rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I have no idea where the hon. member got that information. In fact, over 90% of the $32 million my colleague, the solicitor general, and I announced yesterday will go directly to communities to ensure they have safe streets and safe homes.

[The Judiciary, May 27th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, while I know it is hard for the official opposition to accept this fact, under the Constitution of this country the judiciary has an important constitutional role to play. In the Rosenberg case the judiciary was doing what it was constitutionally obligated to do, interpret and apply the law.