PUBLICATION: Edmonton Journal
DATE: 2002.11.26
SECTION: Canada
PAGE: A16
SOURCE: CP
DATELINE: Saskatoon
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MP sabotaging gun law, federal official claims: Alliance party assistant advising gun owners to delay registration
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A gun group aided by a Canadian Alliance MP is attempting to scuttle Ottawa's firearms registry, says a federal official.

David Austin, a spokesman with the Canadian Firearms Centre, said the Law-abiding Unregistered Firearms Association has been urging people to deliberately clog the centre's toll-free telephone lines.

He said the campaign has been aided by a spokesman for Saskatchewan Alliance MP Garry Breitkreuz, who has advised gun owners to wait until the last moment before registering their weapons.

Canadians have until the end of the year to register their firearms. Those who don't comply could face fines of up to $2,000 and jail terms as long as five years.

"They've been encouraging people to wait until the end," Austin said in an interview. "In fact, Mr. Dennis Young (an assistant to Breitkreuz) is one of those who have encouraged people to wait."

Young denied he was trying to tie up the registry. He said he was urging people to delay registration in the hope the government would repeal its gun control legislation first.

"We said wait as long as you can because there's a chance we can kill this thing," Young said. "We never said you shouldn't comply with the legislation."

Breitkreuz has urged the government to declare an amnesty for gun owners who don't have their registration done by Jan. 1.

As well, Winnipeg Liberal MP John Harvard has said there should be some allowance made for people who have filed their papers but have not yet received their registration.