http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/20 ... 1-qmi.html
Toews shoots down back-door registries
By Daniel Proussalidis, Parliamentary Bureau
OTTAWA - Public Safety Minister Vic Toews has threatened bring the law down on any provincial or territorial chief firearms officer who insists on setting up a back-door long-gun registry.
Toews sent the letter after Sun News Network and QMI Agency broke the news that Ontario's chief firearms officer (CFO) was forcing gun shop owners to collect personal information from buyers of hunting rifles despite Parliament's abolition of the long-gun registry with Bill C-19.
“If it comes to your attention that CFOs are interpreting the Firearms Act as a basis for unauthorized data collection, please advise me immediately,” Toews wrote in a letter Tuesday to RCMP Commissioner Robert Paulson.
“I am prepared to consider all legislative and regulatory measures necessary to give effect to the will of Canadians.”
That information was collected in ledgers owned by the CFO.
The minister says any CFO who persists with those actions is “breaking the law.”
“The CFOs are not to engage in the collection of information of that nature,” Toews said. “That runs contrary to C-19.”
Gun law specialist Ed Burlew said the minister leaves CFOs no choice but stop their back-door registries.
“If I were a CFO, I would have to salute, click my heels, and say, ‘I’ll obey my commander’ because I see no wiggle room whatsoever,” said Burlew.
Bill C-19 required all data contained in the registry to be deleted.
Toews didn't say whether data collected in CFOs' ledgers since the abolition of the registry last month must be destroyed as well, but Burlew said he expects that would be the next logical step.
MNR Meeting
Moderator: Excalibur Marketing Dude
Re: MNR Meeting
Yes, businesses were required to keep records of sales pre C-68. This was mainly for insurance purposes and not a requirement of their business licence. Police were also required to obtain a warrant in order to inspect a business' ledger.
Post C-68, we have the position of Chief Firearms Officer in all provinces and territories, except for Alberta and Saskatchewan, who used the 'opt out' clause included in C-68. Those provinces have the RCMP essentially manning the position of CFO.
In Ontario, the CFO has chosen to make his own 'interpretation' of C-19, stating that the 'registration numbers' will be ignored, but all other data can be kept, since the term 'record' was not defined. However, this would never stand up if challenged in court, since C-19 states that 'ALL records' must be destroyed. The CFO holding business' over a barrel if they fail to maintain their ledger is nothing but blackmail and bully tactics.
The next logical step is amending the Firearms Act and eliminating the position of Chief Firearms Officer in each province and territory, leaving ALL firearms related matters, such as restricted permits, ATTs and licence revocation up to the FEDERAL police service, the RCMP. After all, all firearms related matters are supposed to be federal anyway.
In any case, the ledgers are completely useless in terms of creating a registry. Anyone worried about their long gun being 'tracked' just has to send a friend with a PAL into a gun shop, have them buy the rifle, then drop it off. If the initial buyer is ever approached...'sold it to some guy with a licence'.
If another registry is ever created...'what guns?'
Post C-68, we have the position of Chief Firearms Officer in all provinces and territories, except for Alberta and Saskatchewan, who used the 'opt out' clause included in C-68. Those provinces have the RCMP essentially manning the position of CFO.
In Ontario, the CFO has chosen to make his own 'interpretation' of C-19, stating that the 'registration numbers' will be ignored, but all other data can be kept, since the term 'record' was not defined. However, this would never stand up if challenged in court, since C-19 states that 'ALL records' must be destroyed. The CFO holding business' over a barrel if they fail to maintain their ledger is nothing but blackmail and bully tactics.
The next logical step is amending the Firearms Act and eliminating the position of Chief Firearms Officer in each province and territory, leaving ALL firearms related matters, such as restricted permits, ATTs and licence revocation up to the FEDERAL police service, the RCMP. After all, all firearms related matters are supposed to be federal anyway.
In any case, the ledgers are completely useless in terms of creating a registry. Anyone worried about their long gun being 'tracked' just has to send a friend with a PAL into a gun shop, have them buy the rifle, then drop it off. If the initial buyer is ever approached...'sold it to some guy with a licence'.
If another registry is ever created...'what guns?'
Re: MNR Meeting
"In any case, the ledgers are completely useless in terms of creating a registry. Anyone worried about their long gun being 'tracked' just has to send a friend with a PAL into a gun shop, have them buy the rifle, then drop it off. If the initial buyer is ever approached...'sold it to some guy with a licence'."
"If another registry is ever created...'what guns?' "
Well said!!!!
"If another registry is ever created...'what guns?' "
Well said!!!!