On February 12th Rickford seconded Bill C-301, a Private Members’ Bill to scrap the decade-old Canadian long-gun registry.  “Gary has been working on this issue for a long time and I’m very pleased to stand behind in support. We hope to get the long-gun registry dismantled once and for all,” said a delighted Rickford.
 
The bill proposes to discontinue the wasteful long gun registry that has not saved the life of a single Canadian.
“The registry has been a boondoggle since its inception. I believe members of Parliament from all political parties will see ample cause to shut it down,” said Breitkreuz, “I doubt there has ever been another government program that has gone 500 times over budget and been such a miserable failure. I hope everyone here will agree that our tax dollars should be invested in practical public safety measures that really do save lives.”
 
“We have been punishing law-abiding Canadian hunters, farmers and sport shooters for a decade, and it is time to focus on criminals and gangs who use firearms for all the wrong reasons. The bill also invites the Auditor General to bring evidence and clarity to this issue so parliamentarians can make informed policy decisions on firearms law in the future,” concluded Breitkreuz.
 
Rickford is hopeful that there are M.P.'s in all parties who will support the bill to ensure it passes.  Rickford noted that Mr. Rafferty, M.P. for Thunder Bay Rainy River, has voiced his support for a standalone Private Members’ Bill to dismantle the long-gun registry in the House of Commons and in the media.  “It’s nice to hear support from members across the floor on this issue; our caucus has been very clear on the long-gun registry: We need to get rid of it,” Rickford continued. “But, in a minority house, we need the support of other members in the opposition.” Rickford is cautiously optimistic that NDP M.P.’s across northern Ontario will support this bill as they have indicated.  “So far, there hasn’t been much in the way of support from the NDP on anything – hopefully the leader of the NDP has the courage to let his caucus free vote on this non-partisan but very political bill.  The members of his caucus should be allowed to vote in the interests of their constituents on this issue,” said Rickford.
 
Rickford is encouraging constituents in his riding to write letters to his constituency office to show their support and write to other M.P.’s across northern Ontario to encourage them to support this bill.  If Breitkreuz’s bill receives support from a majority of M.P.'s, it will also invite the Auditor General to conduct a public safety test on all gun control measures every five years. The Auditor General’s reports will reassure Canadians that all gun control laws are cost-effective at improving public safety, reducing violent crime and keeping firearms out of the hands of criminals. “We need hard evidence to guide us in forming cost-effective crime control measures,” says Breitkreuz. “This is a non-partisan issue and I hope it will be supported by all federal parties.”
 
Rickford noted that this is also a major concern for First Nation communities.  “My bill would finally make public safety the priority of our country’s gun control laws,” explained Breitkreuz.  “Many Canadians have come to realize that the long-gun registry wasn’t working because it targets the wrong people. It’s a waste of time and money to lay a piece of paper beside every gun in the country. And the last I checked, criminals were not hampered in the least by the registry. Those are the people we need to go after if we really want to control crime.”