Ottawa has a duty to fight Quebec court order about gun registry

Knowledge is power to the wise, but where wisdom is lacking to those who crave power a simple diet of data will typically suffice. It is such appetite that drives Quebec to preserve the long gun registry data.

Getting rid of the registry was a Conservative campaign promise that was fulfilled last April. The new federal legislation stopped forcing lawful owners of long weapons to register them and relaxed requirements around selling or transferring these firearms. It is not an abandonment of federal responsibility over criminal matters.  Firearm licences and the registry for restricted and prohibited firearms such as pistols are still required.

But before Bill C-19 to scrap the registry was even introduced in the Senate, the Government of Quebec spoiled for a fight to get its hands on the Quebec part of the data, wishing to establish its own registry.  Upon enactment, Quebec immediately launched a court challenge to stop the data involving more than 1.5 million long guns registered by Qu…