OTTAWA - The Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs has reviewed and reported Bill C-19 to the Senate without amendment.
Yukon Senator Dan Lang led the questioning from the government side. Over the course of the hearings, Senators heard from thirty witnesses representing various perspectives on the issue. The committee heard testimony from witnesses who outlined the inaccuracy of the registry.
Senator Lang noted the high level of inaccuracy of the registry data. “We heard time in and time out that the registry is full of errors; it does not have accurate information, and, it gives a false sense of security to front line police officers. The registry should be abolished, and the data should be destroyed.”
The proposed legislation will repeal the requirement to register non-restricted firearms and destroy all data pertaining to the registration of long guns.
Senator Lang expressed the importance of long guns to everyday life, especially to residents of Yukon, “We view our long gun as a necessary day to day tool, not unlike the tractor a farmer uses to plow his field.”
The Bill will be debated at Third Reading stage in the Senate Chamber this coming week. “I am confident that this Bill will be adopted by the Senate and receive Royal Assent in the coming days,” said the Senator from Yukon. “It has been a long 17 year battle but perseverance has paid off.”
For an online version of the legislation, visit: www.parl.gc.ca