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12-08-2005, 03:44 PM
GRAHAM FRASER
Liberal leader Paul Martin has vowed to ban handguns in Canada.
"This is not the Canada we imagined," Martin said, evoking the dramatic rise in violent crime, citing 50 murders in Toronto, and singling out handguns as the cause. "I’ve come to the conclusion we should ban handguns."
Flanked by Ontario Attorney-General Michael Bryant and Toronto Mayor David Miller, Martin announced a five-part strategy to get handguns off the street, increase community activities, and invest more in law enforcement and border surveillance.
"Handguns kill people," he said. "That’s why they exist."
Martin’s plan, which will depend upon provincial participation, got an immediate boost from Ontario’s Attorney-General.
“You can count Ontario in!” Bryant said enthusiastically, arguing that the National Rifle Association, the U.S. gun lobby, is creeping into Canada.
“The right to bear handguns is not a Canadian value,” Bryant said.
Similarly, Miller thanked Martin for the announcement.
"I could not think of a more important announcement for the people of Toronto than the banning of handguns," Miller said. “Guns turn punks into killers."
Miller said that police statistics showed that half of gun-related crimes are caused by guns from the United States and half are stolen from gun owners.
He cited a recent case of 30 guns stolen from a collector, 12 of which were subsequently traced to crimes, including one murder.
“We have to get to the supply of guns and choke it off,” he said.
The strategy consists of:
· An amendment to the Criminal Code to invite provincial and territorial governments to participate in banning handguns, and a program to buy back guns.
· Tougher penalties for violent gun crimes and gang violence, doubling the mandatory minimum sentences for trafficking, smuggling and possessing handguns.
· An end to re-licencing fees for long-gun owners to ease their anger at the Canada Firearms Program.
· The creation of a $50 million Gun Violence and Gang Prevention Fund that would help organizations prevent gun violence and gang activity through programs aimed at angry young men.
· More money for law enforcement, including $225 million over five years to create an RCMP Advanced Community Safety and Rapid Enforcement Team, an additional $10 million a year for the RCMP training academy, $50 million over five years for a Rural Community Safety Plan, and $40 million over five years to hire 75 more specialists for the Canada Border Services Agency – a total of $325 million.
According to background documents prepared by the Liberals, the RCMP will be able to increase the number of graduates to 1,400 new officers every year.
Conservative strategists scoffed at the announcement, pointing out that firearm offences had almost doubled when handguns were banned in Britain, and that 84 per cent of homicides were committed with unregistered firearms.
They argued that the legislation the Martin government introduced in the fall included no measures to roughen penalties for violent gun crimes.
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1134038828210&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154
Hook
Liberal leader Paul Martin has vowed to ban handguns in Canada.
"This is not the Canada we imagined," Martin said, evoking the dramatic rise in violent crime, citing 50 murders in Toronto, and singling out handguns as the cause. "I’ve come to the conclusion we should ban handguns."
Flanked by Ontario Attorney-General Michael Bryant and Toronto Mayor David Miller, Martin announced a five-part strategy to get handguns off the street, increase community activities, and invest more in law enforcement and border surveillance.
"Handguns kill people," he said. "That’s why they exist."
Martin’s plan, which will depend upon provincial participation, got an immediate boost from Ontario’s Attorney-General.
“You can count Ontario in!” Bryant said enthusiastically, arguing that the National Rifle Association, the U.S. gun lobby, is creeping into Canada.
“The right to bear handguns is not a Canadian value,” Bryant said.
Similarly, Miller thanked Martin for the announcement.
"I could not think of a more important announcement for the people of Toronto than the banning of handguns," Miller said. “Guns turn punks into killers."
Miller said that police statistics showed that half of gun-related crimes are caused by guns from the United States and half are stolen from gun owners.
He cited a recent case of 30 guns stolen from a collector, 12 of which were subsequently traced to crimes, including one murder.
“We have to get to the supply of guns and choke it off,” he said.
The strategy consists of:
· An amendment to the Criminal Code to invite provincial and territorial governments to participate in banning handguns, and a program to buy back guns.
· Tougher penalties for violent gun crimes and gang violence, doubling the mandatory minimum sentences for trafficking, smuggling and possessing handguns.
· An end to re-licencing fees for long-gun owners to ease their anger at the Canada Firearms Program.
· The creation of a $50 million Gun Violence and Gang Prevention Fund that would help organizations prevent gun violence and gang activity through programs aimed at angry young men.
· More money for law enforcement, including $225 million over five years to create an RCMP Advanced Community Safety and Rapid Enforcement Team, an additional $10 million a year for the RCMP training academy, $50 million over five years for a Rural Community Safety Plan, and $40 million over five years to hire 75 more specialists for the Canada Border Services Agency – a total of $325 million.
According to background documents prepared by the Liberals, the RCMP will be able to increase the number of graduates to 1,400 new officers every year.
Conservative strategists scoffed at the announcement, pointing out that firearm offences had almost doubled when handguns were banned in Britain, and that 84 per cent of homicides were committed with unregistered firearms.
They argued that the legislation the Martin government introduced in the fall included no measures to roughen penalties for violent gun crimes.
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1134038828210&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154
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