GOVERNMENT
ADMITS TO WHAT THE GUN REGISTRY HAS
COST AND
WILL COST =
$978,260,000
TOTAL SPENT AS OF NOVEMBER 21, 2001
= $ 689,760,000
ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES FOR 2002-03
= $ 113,500,000
ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES FOR 2003-04
= $ 95,000,000
ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES FOR 2004-05
= $ 80,000,000
__________________
GRAND TOTAL
=
$ 978,260,000
NOTE #1: BEWARE
OF DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ESTIMATES
On April 24, 1995, the Justice Minister appeared
before the Standing Committee on Justice and tabled his now infamous “Financial
Framework for Bill C-68”. This
document promised the public and Parliament that the Canadian Firearms Program
would run a deficit of only $2.2 million over the first five years.
The actual deficit over the first five years was $321,761,005 (Verified
in Dept. of Justice documents obtained through the Access to Information Act –
DoJ ATIP File: A-2001-0092 dated July 18, 2001).
1. TOTAL
SPENT AS OF NOVEMBER 21, 2001 = $689,760,000
On Wednesday, November 21, 2001, the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance met to examine the expenditures set out in the Supplementary Estimates (A) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2002.
WITNESSES: From the Treasury Board of Canada:
Testimony of Richard J. Neville, Deputy Comptroller General,
Comptrollership Branch, Treasury Board of Canada: For previous years - if
you care to jot this down - before the beginning of this fiscal year, it was
$541,262,000. In the Main Estimates - that is, the Main Estimates for this year,
2001-02 - there was a planned additional $34,611,000. The amount in these
Supplementary Estimates, as I have already explained, is $113,886,000. The total
at this point is $689,760,000. I trust, Mr. Chairman, that answers the
senator's request.
Senator Terry Stratton of Manitoba:
The concern I have is that this is $689 million, which is virtually $600 million
more than the minister promised it would be. How can someone be that incredibly
wrong?
After
Mr. Neville couldn't answer, Senator Stratton asked again:
How can it be that wrong from the original? Where will this end? Do you have
any forecast? I am sure you do not.
Click
here for complete text:
http://www.garrybreitkreuz.com/publications/senateguncosts.htm\
2. ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES FOR 2002-03 = $113,500,000
On
Wednesday, April 24, 2002, the government answered Garry Breitkreuz's Order
Paper Question Q-131: Mr. Paul Harold Macklin (Parliamentary Secretary to the
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.): (a) The Canadian
Firearms Centre’s, CFC, proposed budget allocation for fiscal year 2002-03 is $113.5
million.
[Hansard Page 10773]
3. ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES FOR 2003-04 = $ 95,000,000
On
Wednesday, April 24, 2002, the government answered Garry Breitkreuz's Order
Paper Question Q-131: Mr. Paul Harold Macklin (Parliamentary Secretary to the
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.): ii.
For 2003-04 the net costs are projected to be $59.8 million (this consists of
projected gross expenditures of $95.0
million minus $35.2 million
in revenue) [Hansard
Page 10773]
NOTE: BEWARE OF DEPT. OF JUSTICE
REVENUE FORECASTS
(a) On April 24, 1995, Justice
Minister Allan Rock promised Parliament that the system would function at
“almost break-even.” In a
letter to the Toronto Star on July 19, 1999, Justice Minister Anne McLellan
promised “user fees would cover the entire cost of the program.”
(b) This “revenue” is simply tax
levied against law-abiding responsible gun owners. These “user fees” don’t reduce the cost of the gun
registry, they just drive more and more people away from legitimate hunting and
shooting sports and drive more and more licenced firearms dealers and outfitters
out of business. Only in the warped
mind of a Liberal could anyone consider killing tourism, businesses and
employment as a net benefit.
(c)
Justice Department documents estimate the
regulatory cost of purchasing a hunting rifle is $279.00. RCMP documents show the number of Firearms Business Permits
issued annually had dropped from 16,420 in 1979 to 4,820 in 1998.
Canadian Wildlife Services documents show the number of Migratory Bird
Permits issued annually dropped from 524,946 in 1978 to 191,444 last year.
4. ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES FOR 2004-05 = $ 80,000,000
On
Wednesday, April 24, 2002, the government answered Garry Breitkreuz's Order
Paper Question Q-131: Mr. Paul Harold Macklin (Parliamentary Secretary to the
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.): iii.
For 2004-05 the net costs are projected to be $44.8 million (this consists of
projected gross expenditures of $80.0
million minus $35.2 in
revenue).
[Hansard Page 10773]
5. EXPENDITURES FOR 2005-12 = “expected…to decrease”
On
Wednesday, April 24, 2002, the government answered Garry Breitkreuz's Order
Paper Question Q-131: Mr. Paul Harold Macklin (Parliamentary Secretary to the
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.): Funding
has not yet been finalized for fiscal years 2005-06 through 2011-12, but is expected
to continue to decrease. [Hansard
Page 10773]
Question No. 131--
M. Garry Breitkreuz:
With regard to the Canadian Firearms Program: (a) what is the proposed budget allocation for fiscal year 2002-03; (b) what are the line-item cost projections for fiscal year 2002-03; (c) what are the cost projections by department and agency for 2002-03; (d) what is the total cost of the program since its inception in 1995; and (e) what is the projected annual cost for each of the next 10 years?
Mr. Paul Harold Macklin (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.):
(a) The Canadian Firearms Centre’s, CFC, proposed budget allocation for fiscal year 2002-03 is $113.5 million.
(b) The CFC line item cost projections for 2002-03 are as follows:
Vote 1--Operating Expenditures:$97.3 million
Vote 5--Contributions:$10.4 million
Statutory--Employee Benefits:$5.8 million
(c) The cost projections by department and agency that will receive funding through the Canadian Firearms Centre in 2002-03 are as follows:
Department of Justice--CFC:$109.5 million
Solicitor General--RCMP:$3.0 million
Canada Customs and Revenue Agency:$1.0 million
(d) The total cost of the program since inception in 1995 is:
From 1995-96 to 2000-01 the net cost of the program incurred by the Department of Justice--CFC is $484.1 million. This consists of $551.5 million in gross expenditures minus $23.1 million in C-17 expenditures minus $44.3 million in net revenue.
As of March 31, 2002, period 12, the net cost of the program incurred by the Department of Justice--CFC for fiscal year 2001-02 is $88.6 million. This consists of $102.9 million in gross expenditures minus $14.3 million in revenue.
(e) The projected annual costs for the next 10 years are as follows:
i. For 2002-03 the net costs are projected to be $101.2 million (this consists of projected gross expenditures of $113.5 million minus $12.3 million in revenue);
ii. For 2003-04 the net costs are projected to be $59.8 million (this consists of projected gross expenditures of $95.0 million minus $35.2 million in revenue);
iii. For 2004-05 the net costs are projected to be $44.8 million (this consists of projected gross expenditures of $80.0 million minus $35.2 in revenue);
iv. Funding has not yet been finalized for fiscal years 2005-06 through 2011-12, but is expected to continue to decrease.
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