Drizzt
Member
Edmonton Journal
May 13, 2003 Tuesday Final Edition
SECTION: News; Pg. A9
LENGTH: 274 words
HEADLINE: Gun registry 'mess' turns thousands into criminals: Firearms lobby blames 'bureaucratic bungling'
SOURCE: The Calgary Herald; CanWest News Service
BYLINE: Mario Toneguzzi
DATELINE: CALGARY
BODY:
CALGARY - Tens of thousands of Canadians will become criminals on Canada Day because of the bureaucratic bungling of the national gun registration system, claims the National Firearms Association.
"They have a mess on their hands," said president Jim Hinter. "Effectively, people on Canada Day will become criminals. We're talking tens of thousands of people."
Canadians were given a Dec. 31 deadline to file a letter of intent to comply with gun control legislation in order to qualify for a six-month grace period the government announced earlier for firearm owners who had applied to register but had not yet received their certificates.
However, many Canadians who filed letters of intent, including Hinter, have yet to receive documents for registration.
"This is a joke. I have heard absolutely nothing back," said Hinter.
"They don't tell anyone what's going on and they wonder why people are so angry about this. I've heard of countless firearm owners who have tried to comply and filed letters of intent, but they've heard nothing."
David Austin, spokesman for the Canadian Firearms Centre, said 70,000 letters of intent were filed. Of that number, 45,000 did it electronically and have all received return messages on how to register their guns, said Austin.
He said the "bulk" of the 25,000 letters of intent in printed form have received packages informing owners what to do to complete registration.
Austin said people who have not received their packages should contact the centre.
Austin said the government estimates there are 7.9 million guns in the country. Only six million of those guns have been registered.
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I had the priviledge of meeting Jim Hinter at the recent Counterattack 2003 conference, and I have to say that the NFA in Canada could hardly ask for a better leader. I wish the NRA leadership had even half the life and motivation....
May 13, 2003 Tuesday Final Edition
SECTION: News; Pg. A9
LENGTH: 274 words
HEADLINE: Gun registry 'mess' turns thousands into criminals: Firearms lobby blames 'bureaucratic bungling'
SOURCE: The Calgary Herald; CanWest News Service
BYLINE: Mario Toneguzzi
DATELINE: CALGARY
BODY:
CALGARY - Tens of thousands of Canadians will become criminals on Canada Day because of the bureaucratic bungling of the national gun registration system, claims the National Firearms Association.
"They have a mess on their hands," said president Jim Hinter. "Effectively, people on Canada Day will become criminals. We're talking tens of thousands of people."
Canadians were given a Dec. 31 deadline to file a letter of intent to comply with gun control legislation in order to qualify for a six-month grace period the government announced earlier for firearm owners who had applied to register but had not yet received their certificates.
However, many Canadians who filed letters of intent, including Hinter, have yet to receive documents for registration.
"This is a joke. I have heard absolutely nothing back," said Hinter.
"They don't tell anyone what's going on and they wonder why people are so angry about this. I've heard of countless firearm owners who have tried to comply and filed letters of intent, but they've heard nothing."
David Austin, spokesman for the Canadian Firearms Centre, said 70,000 letters of intent were filed. Of that number, 45,000 did it electronically and have all received return messages on how to register their guns, said Austin.
He said the "bulk" of the 25,000 letters of intent in printed form have received packages informing owners what to do to complete registration.
Austin said people who have not received their packages should contact the centre.
Austin said the government estimates there are 7.9 million guns in the country. Only six million of those guns have been registered.
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I had the priviledge of meeting Jim Hinter at the recent Counterattack 2003 conference, and I have to say that the NFA in Canada could hardly ask for a better leader. I wish the NRA leadership had even half the life and motivation....
