NDP welcomes court decision to protect gun registry data

New Democrats welcome today’s decision by the Quebec Superior Court preventing the Conservative government from destroying gun data records.

Justice Marc-André Blanchard sided with the Quebec government and granted a permanent injunction to the province, paving the way for them to create their own registry.

“Experts have sided with us, the police have sided with us and now it’s the Superior Court’s turn,” said New Democrat Justice critic Françoise Boivin. “Stephen Harper has to understand he cannot act alone.”

Today’s court decision shows how the Conservative government has failed in its responsibility to protect public safety and ignored thoughtful proposals from the NDP to allow provinces to keep the data, if they wish.

“The Conservatives have a decision to make: either respect the Court’s decision, or waste taxpayers’ money appealing this through the courts,” added Boivin. “New Democrats believe these records are an important public safety tool. Conservatives must stop politicizing this issue and start putting public safety first.”