Parliament votes to repeal long-gun registry

OTTAWA – November 5, 2009  – Merv Tweed, MP for Brandon-Souris voted in favour to repeal the long-gun registry.  He was pleased the majority of other MPs also supported moving this piece of legislation through the process.

The repeal of the registry, a long-standing Conservative position, had been unable to get opposition support when introduced in the last two parliaments as a Government Bill.  Last spring, Candace Hoeppner, MP for Portage-Lisgar introduced a Private Members Bill, which opposition parties agreed to let their members vote freely on.

“The challenge has always been getting the opposition parties to support any Government effort to repeal the long-gun registry,” Tweed said.  “MPs from all parties came together last night to support this Private Members’ Bill and agreed to move forward to end the long-gun registry.”

This is only the first step in the legislative process. The Bill will now be sent to committee for further discussion and debate and then to third reading in the House of Commons.  It must then go through a similar process at the Senate level.

 “All parties agreed that we need a system for gun ownership that is effective for all Canadians, both rural and urban,” said Tweed.  “The registry has not done what it was supposed to do.  Criminals do not register their guns.”