The federal government introduced a bill Tuesday focused on ending the mandatory registration of long guns and rifles.

The Tories have been opposed to the registry, calling it an unnecessary burden on law abiding gun-owners.

"A waste of money and resources," said Vic Toews, public safety minister.

"We have said we are going to scrap it and that's exactly what we are going to do," said Manitoba Conservative MP Candice Hoeppner.

She first introduced a private member's bill to scrap it two years ago. But it was defeated.

Now, with the Conservatives holding a majority in the House of Commons, the bill looks likely to pass.

The bill would also ensure all records in the registry are destroyed. Canada's police chiefs disagree with that move.

An internal RCMP evaluation found the federal gun registry was a useful tool for police, and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police maintains it contributes to community and officer safety.

Toews, meanwhile, said keeping the records would do nothing to help solve gun-related crimes.

"They focus on law-abiding Canadians and do nothing to enhance the investigation of those who commit crimes," said Toews.

But those who work with families of homicide victims disagree.

"Snowmobiles have to be registered. Our cars have to be registered. I don't see anything wrong with the gun registry at all," said Holly Kolevris from the Manitoba Organization for Victim Assistance.

If a registered gun was stolen from a home, information from the registry could help in the investigation, said Kolevris.

So far, only the province of Quebec has expressed any plans to create its own provincial gun registry.

Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger said he doesn't expect to do the same here, saying the money would be better spent on education and crime-prevention programs.

"It's a federal responsibility and if they want to vacate it, we have no intentions on taking it over," said Selinger.

The long-gun registry was introduced by the Liberals in 1995. The Canadian Taxpayers Association pegged its cost at $1 billion. The Conservative's Candice Hoeppner believes it's double that amount.

- with a report from CTV's Ina Sidhu and files from The Canadian Press