RCMP hid $1M cost estimate of gun registry data destruction, documents show

OTTAWA – The RCMP repeatedly stonewalled media inquiries for months about the price tag for destroying the federal long gun registry data, even though it had a full cost estimate in hand.

The federal police force had a detailed breakdown more than a year ago that showed fulfilling the long-time Conservative promise to kill the registry would cost about $1 million.

A PowerPoint presentation laying out the plan and its costs was provided to The Canadian Press under an Access to Information request following an 11-month delay.

In the meantime, the Mounties refused to answer direct questions about whether any such costing had been done, saying only that any costs related to the registry’s destruction would come out of the RCMP’s budget.

NDP justice critic Francoise Boivin says the RCMP’s handling of the file calls into question whether its communications can be trusted on bigger issues — including the current Senate investigation.

The Mounties did not respond to a request for comment but a spokesman for Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney says taxpayers did not foot the bill for the data destruction.