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4 - Orono Weekly Times Wednesday, June 9, 2010 ODA Continued from page 2 accounts are audited annually by an independent accounting firm. The expense policies and procedures the current government follows are the same as those followed by the previous government and agreed to by all parties. I can report that the current government has proposed to all parties that the Auditor General be allowed to audit the expenses of all members of the House of Commons and the Senate. The Board of Internal Economy is currently discussing our government's proposal however the opposition parties are somewhat such as mental illness. To date, the long gun registry has cost Canadian taxpayers almost $2 BILLION dollars, and has not fulfilled its mandate to increase public safety. Bill C-391, introduced by Candice Hoeppner, M.P. for Portage-Lisgar, Manitoba, is a simple bill that does one thing, and one thing only. It does not affect licensing, which we strongly support. It does not affect safe storage or safe transportation requirements. It does not change the requirement to continue registering restricted or prohibited firearms, it does not impact on mandatory firearms courses and it does not affect mandatory background checks, which are supposed to be done, but are not, for every license applicant. It simply repeals the long gun registry. Ms. Oda and her colleagues in the Conservative caucus, along with 21 opposition members from both the NDP and Liberal parties, quite rightly voted in support of Bill C- hesitant to go forward with the government's proposal . All MP expenses are available to the public and can viewed at: http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/ GeneraLinformation/Member sExpenses-2008-2009-e.pdf . Bev Oda, MP, Durham BILL C-391 Continued from page 2 Bill C-68 required the registration of long guns in 2003. Research has shown that knives, not guns, are the weapons used more often to kill women than firearms. Interestingly, the homicide rate using firearms has increased by 24 percent since 2002, despite the introduction of the long gun registry, because of the increased use of illegal guns, mostly handguns, by gangs. In fact, the bulk of crime guns (54 percent - 69 percent) are smuggled into Canada by criminal gangs, which clearly is not impacted upon by the long gun registry. This fact reinforces our call for the repeal of the long gun registry, and the introduction of a prohibited offender registry, which would track the almost 400,000 individuals in Canada who are prohibited from owning firearms by virtue of past criminal behaviour, or other factors 391 last November at Second Reading, recognizing that a system that chases duck hunters, farmers and Olympic athletes, instead of focussing on illegal guns, and the use of these by gang members and others to commit crime, is a waste. The bottom line is that criminals don't register guns, and they don't get licenses. It's time that the government, through Ms. Hoeppner's bill, stopped chasing the wrong target and started spending the money wasted on the long gun registry on the creation of a registry that targets offenders; programs that target mental illness, poverty and unemployment, all of which may lead to violence in the home; and on putting more officers on the streets of our communities. Greg Farrant Manager, Government Relations & Communications Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters June and Laverne Heard (L and C) and Noreen Nixon (R) prepared for the Orono United Church Salad Supper on Saturday night in the church basement. Donations always appreciated at the C l a r i ng t o n E a s t F o o d Bank 905-987-1418