July 18, 2000

The Editor

The Hamilton Spectator

2 pages sent via Fax: (905) 526-3558

Dear Editor:

I enjoyed Renata D’Aliesio’s article, "Gun owners slow to get new photo ID", (The Hamilton Spectator, Page A7, July 18, 2000). I find it odd that after five years of being led down the garden path the media continues to accept the Justice Department’s ridiculous claims that there are only 3 million gun owners and 7 million guns in Canada.

In May 1976, the Liberal Solicitor General of the day, the Honourable Ron Basford, published a paper titled: Peace and Security: Protection against Violent Crime. He stated on page 41, "At the same time, there has been a steady increase in the number of firearms in Canada. Estimates place the number at over ten million in 1974, with almost one-quarter million added to the stock each year."

In fact, the 1974 Solicitor General study, a copy of which I have attached, estimated there were a total of 11,186,000 firearms in Canada. Adding a quarter million a year for the last 25 years, the actual total number of firearms in Canada is more than 17 million. For the last five years, the Liberals have refused to explain to the Canadian people where the 10 million guns went.

Sincerely,

Garry Breitkreuz, MP

Yorkton-Melville.