The Deputy Speaker: The hon. member for Prince George--Peace River.
Mr. Jay Hill (Prince George -- Peace River, CPC): . . . Canadians want some answers to these questions.
Yes, we agree, the Gomery inquiry is doing its job and getting to the bottom of the dirty facts about the sponsorship program. More backroom Liberal Party deals are being unearthed daily.
The Prime Minister promised Canadians he would punish those found responsible. Will the Prime Minister now keep that promise and rout out the shady characters in his government who allowed this type of corruption to fester in the first place?
Hon. Scott Brison (Minister of Public Works and Government Services, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, Justice Gomery is doing his work, and all Canadians will benefit from his work. We would be doing our work if we were to actually focus on the issues facing Canadians on a day-to-day basis, like agriculture, health care, our foreign policy issues, instead of talking about Justice Gomery's work on a daily basis.
They have no legal expertise over there. They do not understand the law of the land. Why are they trying to conduct a judicial inquiry here on the floor of the House of Commons?
Please note this script; Check farther down for repetition.
Firearms Registry
Mr. Gary Breitkreuz (Yorkton-Melville, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised voters a more open and transparent government and yet he hides a report on the $2 billion gun registry, a report he ordered and a report he promised would fix this mess. That report came back full of blanks.
Why is the Prime Minister blanking out the truth? Why is he doing the same thing Jean Chretien did, keeping Parliament in the dark?
Hon. Roy Cullen (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the firearms program has a very positive cost benefit because it is working and it is contributing to public safety.
Police and other officials use the firearms program information. In fact, they are averaging 15,000 inquiries a week from the firearms registry online.
So far this year,
1,100 affidavits have been prepared by the Canada Firearms Centre to support firearms related criminal prosecutions and more than 12,000--
(1140)
The Deputy Speaker: The hon. member for Yorkton-Melville.
Mr. Garry Breitkreuz (Yorkton-Melville, CPC): Mr. Speaker, that answer indicates that the government is shooting blanks and missing the target completely.
The Canadian Firearms Centre sent out letters with 770,000 free licence renewals but 46,509 letters came back as undelivered.
How are the police supposed to know where all the guns are when they do not even know where 50,000 gun owners live?
Hon. Roy Cullen (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the only member shooting blanks is the member opposite.
Police organizations are supporting the gun registry. In fact, I would like to quote the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police President, Edgar MacLeod, who said:
There is no question that the system works and that it is a valuable tool.... [What was left out of the Chief's message? Anything?] new gun-control system
improves the screening of legal gun owners, increases their accountability and provides tools to prevent the diversion and misuse of firearms.[It is not the legal gun owners we are worried about.]
We are managing and containing the cost, and we will continue to do so.
Note to Hon. Roy Cullen, the Deputy PM, Mr. Brison and the rest of this Liberal government:
Canadians want you to fund our security, not track the legal gun owners' guns. These are not the ones trucking illegal guns (the handguns, assault rifles, etc.) -- the non-duck hunter, non-farmer guns that are used to commit violent acts, such as we have heard of endlessly out of cities like Toronto.
Canadians want that registry money used to:
* FUND OUR SECURITY SERVICES -- RCMP, POLICE, MILITARY, CSIS WITH THE STAFF AND EQUIPMENT NECESSARY
* RE-ESTABLISH AND FUND OUR PORTS POLICE, THE ONES CLOSED DOWN UNDER EX-PRIME MINISTER JEAN CHRETIEN
* REOPEN THE POLICE DETACHMENTS CLOSED DOWN, PARTICULARLY IN DRUG RUNNING / MARIJUANA GROW-OP AREAS
* STOP HARASSING THE LAW-ABIDING
* PUT $$$ INTO APPREHENDING THE CRIMINALS, NOT INTO THE POCKETS OF GOVERNMENT FRIENDS AND POLITICAL PARTY CONTRIBUTORS
* STOP IMPORTING CRIMINALS
* START DEPORTING THE 36000 COURT DEEMED DEPORTEES ALREADY HERE; IDENTIFY THEM TO THE POLICE AND THE PUBLIC
* START TREATING CRIMINALS AS CRIMINALS;
* START TREATING ORDINARY CITIZENS AS YOUR EMPLOYERS AND DESERVING OF YOUR RESPECT
* STOP THE GUN REGISTRY BAFFLEGAB AND THE LIBERAL CORRUPTION.
* ANSWER QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE; STOP THE REPETITIOUS NON-ANSWERS IN QUESTION PERIOD
Yes, that was shouting!
If you have read this far, perhaps you need this before continuing.
Definition of Bravery
True bravery is arriving home stinking drunk after a very late night out with the boys....
Then.....being assaulted by your wife with a broom, and still having the guts to ask: "Are you cleaning, or were you flying somewhere?”
Thanks Susan. I like a man with a sense of humour -- and a woman who can see the humour in it.
