Canadian Shooting Sports Association: "Long-gun registry finally destined for scrap heap of history"

OTTAWA -- Good riddance to the long-gun registry -- possibly the most unfair and useless legislation ever to have been passed by Parliament of Canada.

In the wake of many hours of debate and anti-gun rhetoric from the opposition and lobbyists, the Conservative party has successfully laid the registry to rest with Royal Assent on Bill C-19. Few issues have prompted so many Canadians to sound off on the shortcomings of a Canadian law.

"The Firearms Act has been a thorn in the side of hunters, sport shooters, farmers and heritage firearms enthusiasts for 17 years," says Tony Bernardo of the Canadian Shooting Sport Association. "We know the registry was a cheap political ploy from a previous government that pretended to keep Canadians safe. It wasn't gun control, and it wasn't designed to do anything but frustrate honest, law-abiding firearms owners."

The Senate of Canada passed 3rd reading of Bill C-19 to scrap the registry on April 4th. Meanwhile, the Government of Quebec has vowed an injunction to try to prevent the data from being destroyed so it can be turned over to the province.

"Quebec wouldn't know what to do with this data if they got it," says Bernardo. "The data is legendary for its inaccuracy and it's way beyond its stale date. Quebec couldn't build a workable registry from the dregs of this white elephant because it was never workable in the first place. It's hard to believe that Quebec voters want their tax dollars fed into a paper shredder like this."

The demise of the registry is the result of a coordinated effort by firearms enthusiasts, wildlife federations and associations from across the country. The Conservative party campaigned on scrapping the registry and its recent majority provides evidence of the widespread appetite for getting rid of this offensive legislation.

"It's been a long, rough road, but we knew we could prevail if we just kept telling the truth," says Bernardo. "The anti-gun faction had to torque statistics and align themselves with the unions and politically motivated left-wing advocates. Freedom from draconian laws should never be about the left vs. the right, or rural vs. urban interests. Freedom is always about telling the truth. We thank the Harper government and those who have worked tirelessly to put this legislative mess out to pasture."