PUBLICATION:              Windsor Star

DATE:                         2001.12.29

EDITION:                    Final

SECTION:                  EDITORIAL

PAGE:                         A8

SOURCE:                   Windsor Star

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Thorn

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Federal Firearms Registry: The Liberal government's firearms registry continues to be an expensive waste of taxpayers' money. After three years of operation and a cost of at least half a billion dollars, only 300,000 of about two million gun owners have been processed -- despite the fact the government is now waiving the $18 registration fee. As well, only 1.4 million rifles and shotguns have been registered and, according to Alliance MP Garry Breitkreuz, there could be as many as 15 million more to go. It's now certain the government won't register every firearm in the country a year from now as it had planned. The bottom line remains that the cost of this program is beyond anything imagined and it is a waste of time and energy. There's no evidence the gun registry has accomplished anything as far as public safety goes. It only targets law-abiding citizens. Better that government should spend its time and taxpayers' money tracking down real criminals and terrorists.