Drizzt
February 12, 2003, 04:58 PM
Montreal Gazette
February 12, 2003 Wednesday Final Edition
SECTION: News; Pg. A12
LENGTH: 378 words
HEADLINE: Quebecer registers a screwdriver as a firearm: Using force of the law may be necessary in such cases, says Canada's new gun czar
SOURCE: CanWest News Service
BYLINE: TIM NAUMETZ
DATELINE: OTTAWA
BODY:
The new head of the federal firearms program says he wants gun owners to comply with the law voluntarily - but he is ready to enforce compliance if necessary.
Bill Baker, newly appointed chief executive officer of the Canadian Firearms Centre, made the comment as news emerged of a Quebec man who obtained a firearms registration certificate for his screwdriver.
Bromont gun owner Patrice Dumas, who resisted registering his Winchester carbine until he was told at the last minute he would lose the rifle if he did not register, decided to test the system by registering one of his home tools - a Fuller screwdriver. Describing the implement as a lever-action - "because I use it to open paint cans" - Dumas subsequently received a registration certificate for the "firearm." He told the newspaper La Voix de l'Est he could put a screw in the end, but it would be "more dangerous."
Baker said in an interview that he learned in his last job - assistant commissioner for compliance in the federal tax and customs agency - that voluntary compliance is the first goal when dealing with a public that, like Dumas, is hostile to government laws and regulations.
"Getting people to comply voluntarily is the very best compliance you can get," Baker said. "It's the cheapest compliance; it's the most lasting compliance. It's also the most legitimate compliance because it's brought about by people making a choice to comply rather than being compelled by the strong arm of the agency."
Discussing weapons owners who have sworn to flout the Firearms Act and others who have attempted to sabotage the registry, Baker said the force of the law may be necessary in some cases.
"That's not a whole lot different than the constituency I had to deal with for many years in the tax world," Baker said.
Baker was a 15-year veteran of the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency and Revenue Canada prior to his appointment last week to the firearms agency.
Canadian Alliance MP Garry Breitkreuz recently disclosed that 5 million of the 6 million firearms now registered have yet to be verified to show that they match the details gun owners included on registration applications.
The firearms centre recently reintroduced free electronic registration through the Internet.
February 12, 2003 Wednesday Final Edition
SECTION: News; Pg. A12
LENGTH: 378 words
HEADLINE: Quebecer registers a screwdriver as a firearm: Using force of the law may be necessary in such cases, says Canada's new gun czar
SOURCE: CanWest News Service
BYLINE: TIM NAUMETZ
DATELINE: OTTAWA
BODY:
The new head of the federal firearms program says he wants gun owners to comply with the law voluntarily - but he is ready to enforce compliance if necessary.
Bill Baker, newly appointed chief executive officer of the Canadian Firearms Centre, made the comment as news emerged of a Quebec man who obtained a firearms registration certificate for his screwdriver.
Bromont gun owner Patrice Dumas, who resisted registering his Winchester carbine until he was told at the last minute he would lose the rifle if he did not register, decided to test the system by registering one of his home tools - a Fuller screwdriver. Describing the implement as a lever-action - "because I use it to open paint cans" - Dumas subsequently received a registration certificate for the "firearm." He told the newspaper La Voix de l'Est he could put a screw in the end, but it would be "more dangerous."
Baker said in an interview that he learned in his last job - assistant commissioner for compliance in the federal tax and customs agency - that voluntary compliance is the first goal when dealing with a public that, like Dumas, is hostile to government laws and regulations.
"Getting people to comply voluntarily is the very best compliance you can get," Baker said. "It's the cheapest compliance; it's the most lasting compliance. It's also the most legitimate compliance because it's brought about by people making a choice to comply rather than being compelled by the strong arm of the agency."
Discussing weapons owners who have sworn to flout the Firearms Act and others who have attempted to sabotage the registry, Baker said the force of the law may be necessary in some cases.
"That's not a whole lot different than the constituency I had to deal with for many years in the tax world," Baker said.
Baker was a 15-year veteran of the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency and Revenue Canada prior to his appointment last week to the firearms agency.
Canadian Alliance MP Garry Breitkreuz recently disclosed that 5 million of the 6 million firearms now registered have yet to be verified to show that they match the details gun owners included on registration applications.
The firearms centre recently reintroduced free electronic registration through the Internet.