The following was written by Dr. Gary Mauser for a Port Moody-Coquitlam
Constit. Assoc. Newsletter in Spring of 1996.


Why the Reform Party of Canada Should Repeal C-68 -- the Liberal's "gun
control" law.

1. C-68 attacks hunters and target shooters rather than violent
criminals. The real crime problem has to do with repeat offenders, not
people like target shooters and hunters who have never committed a
violent crime. Did you know that since 1977 anyone wishing to buy a gun
must be screened by the police?

2. C-68 creates a huge bureaucracy that will cost taxpayers over one
billion dollars over five years. This will increase your taxes or
divert money from other worthwhile government programs (eg. prisons or
police patrols).

3. It is widely accepted that firearms registration will not reduce
violent crime.  Career criminals won't register their firearms.
Registration won't stop crimes of passion. C- 68 is wasting valuable
time and money and does virtually nothing to fight violent crime.

4. C-68 risks undermining support for law and order in the people who
have been its staunchest backers up until now. Many hunters and target
shooters will neglect to register their firearms. Courts will be forced
to waste time dealing with otherwise law- abiding hunters who failed to
register their firearms. The police already have their hands full
dealing with real criminals. How will this help reduce violent crime?

5. C-68 introduces autocratic regulating powers. Section 119(2) of C-68
allows the Minster of Justice to bypass Parliament in deciding which
types firearms to ban. This means that the Minister of Justice can
change the criminal law without any public discussion.

6. C-68 bans and confiscates over one-half of all legally registered
and owned handguns. C-68 even banned firearms used in Olympic target
shooting. None of the banned firearms had ever been misused. What
firearms will be next?

7. C-68 undermines your rights to be considered innocent until proven
guilty.  Section 102 of C-68 permits "inspectors" to enter businesses
without a warrant if they "believe" there are more than 10 firearms
present. No firearms need be found to justify their "beliefs". This
means that the police need not provide evidence that a crime has been
committed before entering to "inspect" the premises.

8. Section 103 of C-68 requires that every person found in a "place of
inspection" give full assistance to "inspectors" or face criminal
charges. Police officers can and will be inspectors. This means that
you may be required to testify against yourself.

9. Section 104 of C-68 allows "inspectors" to search for firearms or to
ensure compliance with firearms regulations without the "consent" of
the  "occupant" of a residence.  The previous criminal code prohibited
the police from entering a residence without reasonable proof that a
crime has been committed or is about to be committed.

10. C-68 imposes Draconian penalties for registration offenses. Section
92(1) imposes a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years for knowingly
neglecting to register a firearm. The previous criminal code had no
indictable offenses for violating a regulation pertaining to the legal
ownership of a firearms. The maximum jail term for assaulting a police
officer is 5 years and for (non violent) rape is 5 years. Where is the
government's sense of priorities?

In closing, C-68 is not just about guns, it's about what kind of
government we want in Canada.

Thank you for considering my arguments.

Gary Mauser, Ph.D.