Updates

• February 16, 2012: Public safety ignored as Conservative bill to eliminate long-gun registry approved in House of Commons
• October 25, 2011: Move to abolish gun registry puts Canadians' safety at risk
• September 23, 2010:The federal long-gun registry is safe…for now
• May 27, 2010: Ducharme presents to house committee in support of long gun registry
• May 21, 2009: Stop Bill C-19! Keep Our Communities Safe
• Mar. 2010: Gun registry under fire: Union Update
• Spring 2010: Union activists lead fight to save gun registry: Our Union Voice
• Dec. 3, 2009: Ending violence against women includes keeping federal long gun registry

Since the Harper Conservatives came to power in 2006, they have taken a number of steps to discredit as well as reduce the effectiveness of the federal gun registry. They continually refer to the registry as the “Liberal billion-dollar boondoggle” and they've waived the licensing and registration fees for gun owners and twice extended the amnesty to register guns.

A number of private Member's bills have been introduced in the House of Commons, as well as government Bill S-5, the Long-Gun Registry Repeal Act which was introduced in the Senate on April 1, 2009. (This Bill hasn't gone beyond First Reading.)

• How MPs voted on Bill C-391

However, with the passage at Second Reading and referral to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security of Cill C-391 earlier this month, the possibility that the registry will be dismantled has come closer to becoming a reality.

PSAC/USGE members employed by the registry in New Brunswick have been lobbying elected representatives and building community support for the gun registry. Their major focus has been the loss of jobs.

The jobs issue are important to the immediate community but this is a safety issue to all Canadians, particularly in terms of combatting violence against women.