Gun Registry Still a Billion Dollar Boondoggle

Recall the Original Promise to Taxpayers – Ottawa’s firearms registry was to cost a grand total of $2-million, not $80-million every year

Ottawa – The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) reacted to the report tabled by Auditor-General Sheila Fraser this afternoon in the House of Commons. This audit reviews the federal government’s management (or lack thereof) of tax dollars related to military recruitment and training, the collection of tax debts, the distribution of grants, the management of programs for Aboriginal Canadians, and ongoing problems with the Canadian Firearms Program. In addition, Ms. Fraser outlined how rising gun registry costs were not reported to Parliament, thwarting the constitutional duty of Members of Parliament to oversee and approve the spending of tax money.

“The auditor-general found the Canada Firearms Centre made progress in disclosing its spending. However, she also found that whenever gun registry costs ballooned beyond what Parliament had authorized, or above what the government had publicly promised, the true amounts were hidden from legislators and the public,” said CTF federal director John Williamson. “This represents a serious breach of Parliament’s constitutional authority to approve program spending.”

When the federal firearms registry was established in 1995, the CTF adopted a wait-and-see attitude towards the program. That year, the federal government estimated the registry would cost $119-million to establish but recoup $117-million through firearms license fees for a net cost to taxpayers of $2-million. Today’s report reaffirms the total program cost at the end of 2004 was $1.045-billion with only $99-million collected in fees. This colossal cost explosion has taxpayers on the hook for $946-million, and Ottawa will spend another $82-million in 2005 and $83-million more in 2006.

“Canadians have no problem with government spending a billion dollars on a program if it delivers results, but the firearms registry fails to do this. The costs have exploded, statistics show the registry has had no measurable impact on reducing gun-crime, and now Ms. Fraser reports Parliament was again kept in the dark,” said Williamson. “Ottawa’s handling of the gun registry is a textbook example of public administration at its absolute worst. It is a fiscal crime committed against taxpayers. Forcing duck hunters and farmers to register their long-guns will not reduce crime. It is past time to shoot this registry down.”

The CTF is calling on the Conservative government to –

1. Table legislation to abolish the long-gun registry;
2. Immediately cut the program’s annual funding; and
3. Issue an amnesty for gun owners to stymie the registry bureaucrats responsible for issuing a letter to police informing them to arrest citizens that fail to comply with the registry.

John Williamson
Federal Director
Canadian Taxpayers Federation