(Queen’s Park) – Garfield Dunlop, MPP for Simcoe North and P.C. Critic for Community Safety and Correctional Services, today challenged Premier McGuinty to stand up for taxpayers and law-abiding firearms owners by urging his federal counterpart Paul Martin to put an immediate end to the federal long gun registry.

“Prime Minister Martin’s review of the gun registry is just a way to stall and buy time before the next federal election,” said Dunlop. “McGuinty should tell his federal cousin in Ottawa to stop picking on hunters and farmers by putting an end to this ineffective and fiscally-irresponsible program once and for all.”

Canadians were assured in 1995 by the federal government that the federal gun registry would cost no more than $2 million. Recently, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation announced that this figure could balloon to as high as over $2 billion.

“The federal long gun registry unfairly targets hunters, farmers and sports shooters who use guns responsibly, instead of taking guns out of the hands of criminals,” said Dunlop. “McGuinty should be fighting against the gun registry, not only to stop a blatant abuse of taxpayers’ dollars, but also so he can keep his promise of putting 1,000 more police officers in Ontario communities.”

According to the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, money spent on the federal gun registry would have provided for the hiring of 10,000-20,000 police officers, or MRIs for every hospital in Canada.

“Ontario’s working families deserve leadership from Premier McGuinty on this issue right now,” said Dunlop. “The Premier’s federal cousin has already wasted eight years at the helm of Canada’s finances doing nothing about it.”

Contacts:
Garfield Dunlop
(705) 327-4500 (cell)