The federal government's controversial long-gun registry took a step towards the grave last Wednesday evening when government and opposition MPs combined to pass a private member's bill that will scrap the costly program.
The 14-year-old gun registry is now closer to being thrown the garbage can after 18 opposition members joined the governing Conservatives in voting in favour of the bill by a 164-137 margin. The private member's bill was brought forward by Manitoba MP Candace Hoeppner and was seconded by Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MP Larry Miller.
In an interview from his Parliament Hill office after the vote, Miller said he was very pleased with the results of the vote.
"It went very well. We suspected we were going to win it, but we received a much bigger majority than we thought and that's a good thing," said Miller.
The MP said a number of opposition MPs that voted in favour of the bill, who as late as last week had indicated they would vote against it.
"There were a number of members that late last week were still opposed, but I think their constituents got to them. Democracy worked in this case and that's how it should be," said Miller, who noted that the vote is not the end of the long-gun registry just yet.
"This was one battle in the war, one more step in the process. Now the bill goes to committee. I'm hearing some opposition members will try and drag this out as long as they can, but I hope they don't," he said.
The bill has passed first and second reading in the House of Commons. It now moves on to the committee level for public hearings, followed by a vote on third reading and then it will be sent to the Senate for approval.
Miller said there is no definitive time frame for when the bill will be back in the House of Commons. He said if things go well at the committee level the bill could be passed and sent to the Senate by Christmas.
Votes on private member bills are considered "free" votes and MPs are not expected to follow party lines. All three opposition parties supported the registry, but enough opposition MPs joined with the government to pass the bill.
The bill attracted almost every one of the nation's MPs. A total of 301 out of 304 MPs were in the House of Commons for the vote.
The long gun registry was put in place by the Liberal government of Jean Chretien 14 years ago in response to the 1989 Montreal massacre where a gunman at Ecole Polytechnique killed 14 women.
At the time the Liberals promised that the new registry (hand guns in Canada were already required to be registered) would cost only $2 million. In 2002 Auditor General Sheila Fraser examined the program and issued a scathing report about the registry that said the final price tag would be in excess of $1 billion.
Critics of the registry said it targeted law-abiding owners of rifles in Canada and it did nothing to prevent crime.
"I think even people that support the registry have concluded that it has never done what it is supposed to do. Let's quit pouring money into it," said Miller.
The bill passed by MPs on November 4 eliminates the long-gun portion of the registry. If it is adopted by Parliament Canadians will no longer need to register rifles and shotguns. The bill does not affect Canada's strict handgun laws.
