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By Jeff Davis

OTTAWA — The Harper government’s controversial bill to end the long-gun registry has passed the House of Commons, marking the end of a long political battle over one of the most controversial law enforcement measures in recent memory.

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The bill passed easily, by a margin of 159 to 130, as the Conservatives used their majority in the House secure passage of the bill, which now goes to the Senate where the Conservatives also have a majority.

The mood in the House Wednesday evening was tense, although the outcome was never in doubt. The public galleries of the House of Commons were packed with staunch supporters and die-hard opponents of the gun registry.

But supporters of the long-gun registry, many of whom are from Quebec, said they were appalled by the festive attitude of the Conservatives, who attended a cocktail reception with pro-gun lobbyists on Parliament Hill to mark the historic change.