Canada’s new privacy commissioner says he has “deep concerns” about the privacy implications of parts of the federal gun control policy.
In a letter to Canadian Alliance MP Garry Breitkreuz, George Radwanski said there are concerns there may be wrong information in the database compiled and used by police forces when assessing firearms acquisition requests.
The Firearms Interest Police database contains names of witnesses and victims in addition to names of those who broke firearms laws in the past, he said. Some of the names may be there based on unsubstantiated hearsay and it is difficult for Canadians to find out whether they are in the database and whether the information is correct.
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“We have several concerns about the FIP database,” Radwanski wrote.
But he saved his strongest words for reports that the government is considering hiring a private firm to run some of the gun control system.
“I am deeply concerned that Justice (department) may privatize or outsource the Canadian firearms program,” he wrote. “In my view, any such initiative must not erode existing privacy act rights and I intend to pursue this matter with the department.”
Breitkreuz, who has been leading the parliamentary fight against the Liberal gun control law for years, said Radwanski’s concerns prove that the gun control bureaucracy is violating Canadians’ privacy rights.
“Most of these 3.5 million Canadians in the police database do not even know the police have a file on them,” he said in the House of Commons. “They do not even know that they could become targets of police action because of the incorrect information the minister has on them.”
Radwanski noted the FIP database entry is sparse, including only name, date of birth and a police agency incident reference number.
The presence of a name does not necessarily block a person’s ability to get a firearms licence, “but (it) will initiate a thorough review of a person’s eligibility to hold a firearm licence.”
Justice minister Anne McLellan denied Breitkreuz’s charges and took a shot at Radwanski.
“If the new privacy commissioner wishes to talk to me about concerns he might have, I am certainly willing to do that,” she said. “I would expect that he would give me the courtesy of contacting me directly to discuss any concerns he might have.”
While Breitkreuz had based his crusade on rising costs of the gun registration system and its intent to “criminalize law-abiding gun owners,” he is turning his sights on reports that part of the registration system could be contracted out.
It has been reported that Public Works Canada advertised in early January for a private firm qualified to take a contract “for the overall operation, re-development and maintenance of the … registration and licensing program for a long term.”
McLellan hotly denied the government will privatize the gun control system.
“The government, and in particular the minister of justice, will remain fully accountable and responsible for this program,” she said in the Commons.
