Quebec Gun registry

If Harper kills the Gun registry then I would fully support a Quebec version of the gun registry. In fact if you calculate it 2 million for all of Canada about a quarter of that if not less would equal $500,000. Which is almost nothing on the provincial budget. The only problem is that our Conservative government will destroy all records to make sure that they make it the hardest possible to try and slow violence. Another problem Quebec will face is guns purchased in Ontario or other provinces. I think Dalton Mcguinty would make a Gun registry for his province, add the NDP premiers of Nova Scotia and Manitoba and probably BC you have practically a nation wide gun registry. With the exception of Saskatchewan and Alberta.  I guess this sort of Primer cooperation  will really put a punch in the Conservatives stomach. But with no old records we have to start the registry from scratch which makes it more expensive, because of start up cost of this program. No help from Harper again! I guess the Harper ideology stays true. Let the provinces deal with it!

What Waste!

The Conservatives are planning to eliminate the long gun registry very soon. ironic enough the public safety minister Vic Toews is saying that he is proud his government is eliminating the long gun registry. It's ironic that the minister that is suppose to try and keep people safe is saying he is proud to abolish a program that has been proven to save lives. Police say that the registry is effective, but still our public safety minister isn't listening to the people that keep us safe. The most silly part is these statements.

"That waste is finally coming to an end,"


"The long-gun registry is not gun control, and because of that it is an ineffective and a waste of taxpayers hard-earned dollars,"


the First quote is by our public safety minister who saying that it's a waste to the long gun registry. But apparently not a waste to blow billions more dollars on noncompetitive fighter jets purchases.the second is done by another Tory MP. The silly part of this quote is the end, because a part of the bill will not only scrap the long gun registry , but will abolish all records. That is a waste. They could have simply eliminated the registry and kept the files. What is the point of eliminating the files. The reason is, because this government is going to waste the millions of dollars and time that it took to make those records over the years into the gunners, and of course making the job of cleaning the Tory mess harder. Don't you just love there policies!


This government is really getting on my nerves with fiances. It continues to babel over a few million in spending every year and calling it fiscal responsibility, and doesn't even mention the billions it's wasting on fighter jets, prisons and corporate tax giveaways.  

read more here

Harper will Scrap the Gun Registry

That is what he promised. If Harper gets a majority, it will be impossible to stop him from killing the gun registry. But, it's more than just that. If you think that the Tories are really governing the way they want to, then think again. Just read the Blogging Tories any day. A Harper majority would mean less government transparency, more private health care, layoffs of many civil servants, higher tuitions, environmental destruction.

There is no way in the world the Conservatives governed as they wanted to in this minority government. The gun registry will be only one of the cornerstones of what we call Canada to go if Harper gets his majority.

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper is again promising to eliminate Canada's long-gun registry. 

"When it comes to the wasteful and inefficient long-gun registry, you know where the Conservative party stands. We stand with farmers and hunters and we will scrap the long-gun registry," Harper told a group in Welland, Ont., Monday.

Read more at CBC.

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Ignore the Illegal Guns

That is what the Conservative member  for Bruce-Grey-Owen-Sound wants the government to do. He says that we should turn a blind eye to farmers who use their unregistered guns to protect their livestock. This is a bad statement to make. He is saying that it is okay to break the law if it is done to make money. What should be done is sending a Firearms Centre representative from door to door once a year to see if there are any guns that farmers want to register. Hence, it wouldn't be such a hassle for farmers to register their guns. The gun registry helps save lives and should be maintained. And even though the Tories allege it costs billions of dollars, it costs but a fraction of that.

OTTAWA—Conservative MP Larry Miller has suggested government officials should turn a blind eye to unregistered firearms if farmers are just using them to protect their livestock from coyotes.

The beef farmer-turned-federal politician made the remarks at a Saturday meeting in Elmwood, Ont., to discuss how to deal with the growing problem of coyotes preying on sheep and other farm animals in the area.

 Read more at the Toronto Star.

Long Gun Registry is Cheap

The long gun registry doesn't actually cost as much as the Tories say it does. If we kill the long gun registry, there would be savings of only 1.5 million dollars annually. That's just over four cents per person per year! It's pretty obvious that we can afford to give up four cents in exchange for more safety. The numbers show that we only spend 11 million dollars each year on maintaining the whole firearms registry. In fact, licensing took up about 5/6 of the Canadian Firearms Centre's budget. Of course, the truth is now revealed. The gun registry does not actually cost billions of dollars to maintain, but only a bit over ten million. I think that is a fair price to pay for enhanced safety.

An independent cost-benefit analysis of Conservative legislation to kill the federal long-gun registry has found the public savings could amount to just over $1.5-million annually – and that there are only two good reasons to scrap the program.

One is a reduced burden on gun owners. The other is a lighter load for taxpayers.

Read more at the Globe and Mail.

Majority Support Long Gun Registry

A new poll carried out by Ipsos-Reid found that two-thirds of Canadians back the long gun registry. What's especially interesting is that the Conservative supporters are the most split on this issue. 53% want to scrap the long gun registry and 47% want to keep it. That's pretty close. But for Conservative voters, this is not an issue that will cause them to lose votes, except for in Quebec. As we can see in recent polls, the NDP is the big loser here, with Conservatives and Liberals using their not-whipped vote to gain support. This might not change things politically, but at least this confirms that Canadians want to hold on to things that define us as Canadian.

OTTAWA — Two-thirds of Canadians support the controversial long-gun registry and even voters who back Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives are split on the issue, a new poll has found.

The national survey conducted exclusively for Postmedia News and Global Television finds that support for the registry stands at 66 per cent nationally. Moreover, support is strong in regions throughout the country — even though Harper has said his party will not "rest" until it abolishes the registry.

Read more at the Province.

Gun Registry Misfire

There has been a lot of talk on whether the long gun registry staying would be good for the Conservatives or not. Mostly, the media was saying that it would be good for the Tories and bad for the opposition as they would be able to target the rural seats of the MPs who changed their vote and would be able to fundraise more money from their base. I agree with one of these. The Conservatives would be able to fundraise more money. But support would not be easy to gain. They would lose votes in many urban ridings especially in Quebec. The Conservative support was low in the first place. Could it go even lower in Quebec? So, in short, the Tories get more money, lose support.

Within seconds of the long-gun registry vote in the Commons, this being the era of the blog, a conventional wisdom began to congeal that the Conservatives had lost the parliamentary battle but would win the electoral war. 

By the next morning, the conventional political wisdom was all over the newspapers and the Web: The Conservatives would turn their narrow Commons defeat into a political victory by targeting those New Democrat and Liberal MPs in rural or semi-rural ridings who had voted to keep the controversial registry. They would be as vulnerable as ducks flying over registry-hating hunters in the fall.

Read more at the Globe and Mail.

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A Little CBC Bashing Can't Hurt

The Tories have again chosen to attack their favorite target. No, it's not the Liberal Party. It's the CBC! This time it's because last week, the CBC posted a story about how the NRA was getting involved in the Canadian gun registry debate.  The Conservative Party views this as biased.

In her two-page letter, she references a report that aired Sept. 13, characterizing it as the CBC seeking “to portray domestic efforts to end the long-gun registry as being influenced by a foreign organization.”

And that is completely true!  That was the whole point of that CBC story. To report the facts. The NRA was getting involved in the long gun registry debate. This isn't the first time the Conservative party thinks the facts are "agenda-driven." Multiple studies show that tough-on-crime stances don't work, however, the Tories continue to support this kind of solution. As long as this Conservative government remains in power, there will be more disregard for the facts, less informed decisions, and complete disregard for government transparency.

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Gun Registry Saved

It was close vote, but the long gun registry lived to see another day in a 153-151 vote! Throughout the almost year-long journey of this bill through the House of Commons, there was a lot of panic on whether it would go or not. I have to admit, even I was scared that it could go. It would probably not have been reinstated for a long time. Anyway, Harper vows that someday the gun registry will be destroyed. But, the important thing is that it is here for now and it will remain unless there is a Conservative majority, which would allow them to whip out teir secret agenda. Canada remains safe and victorious.

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff and Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe had long made it clear that they intended to halt Bill C-391. The Conservatives supported the bill, so the registry's fate lay with the NDP, which allows its MPs to vote as they wish on private member's bills.

Six New Democrats voted with the Conservatives — Nathan Cullen of B.C., Niki Ashton and Jim Maloway of Manitoba, Dennis Bevington from the Northwest Territories and Bruce Hyer and John Rafferty from Northern Ontario.

Read more at CBC.

NDP Loses in New Poll

A Harris-Decima poll suggests that the Liberals and Conservatives are basically at a tie, with 30% and 33% respectively, while the NDP had it's worst showing of the year with 14% support. This is obviously because Jack Layton refused to whip the vote on the long gun registry. This earned him a lot of dissatisfaction in urban areas. Anyway, it's good news for us, the Liberal Party of Canada, with a repeated strong showing in recent polls. It also seems like this momentum could continue until who knows when. The Liberal Party is up and ready to go! ThreeHundredEight.com will probably have a projection of seats later today. I will post them if I can.

A new poll suggests support for the NDP has dropped to its lowest level this year amid internal divisions over the long-gun registry.

The Harris-Decima survey conducted for The Canadian Press put the Conservatives at 33 per cent support, three points ahead of the Liberals.

The NDP trailed well behind at just 14 per cent – down six points since April and only three points ahead of the Green party.

Read more at the Globe and Mail.

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American Politics in Canada?

When John Baird said that the Toronto Elites were to blame in keeping the registry, he was using American-style politics in Canada. For example, some of the far right in the United States say it's time for real Americans to kick the communist alien Democrats out of office. The thing is, divisive American politics don't work in Canada. The rules are different. That's why, on September 22, the gun registry is going to be here to stay and protect Canadians for ever on.

Of course, the categorization wasn’t true. Not only does support for gun control exist beyond the boundaries of Toronto, but members of Canada’s elite — including Baird — oppose the registry.

However, his comments weren’t meant to be factually accurate. Rather, they were designed to tap into U.S.-style resentments.

And here, I think Baird blew it.

Read more at the Toronto Star.

Saving lives makes you elite?

John Baird, the government house leader, has said that he is disappointed that the gun registry was saved by the "Toronto Elites." Apparently, saving the gun registry somehow makes you an “elite.”  The fact is, doctors support the gun registry. Does that make doctors “elites?” That would also mean that the RCMP, police chiefs and doctors are all “elites.” Apparently, wanting to save lives makes you that. I hate it when some people just use the term “elite” as if that is an actual legitimate response. John Baird should know that many people in Canada believe the gun registry is a smart move and to call a big chunk of Canadians elites makes no sense. The registry works and no matter how much Baird may call gun registry supporters "elites" won’t change the fact that this registry is a needed part of safety.

OTTAWA—The federal government has opened a new front on the war over the long-gun registry, blaming Toronto “elites” for driving support for the registry at the expense of rural Canadian gun owners.

With Parliamentary support for killing the registry slipping away, Conservative House Leader John Baird blamed politicians in Canada’s largest city for pressuring colleagues into changing their positions in advance of a crucial vote in the House of Commons next week.

Read more at the Toronto Star.

NRA+Conservatives

The CBC has learned that the NRA has been involved in the fight to abolish the gun registry for decades! This reminds me of something Kory Teneycke said on Power and Politics.

I wonder if Kory Teneycke is now telling the NRA to stay in the US and get their facts straight? Either way, the NRA has nothing to do with Canada. Why is it messing around in our politics? In fact, the only reason why the NRA hasn't spent money in Canada is because its constitution doesn't allow it. That hasn't stopped it from putting on an $100 000 infomercial on national TV in America. we have enough problems as is with right-wing propaganda seeping into Canada (SunTV). We do not need the NRA added to the list of problems. The NRA should get out of Canada. It has no place in our society.

The National Rifle Association, a powerful lobbying group in the United States that advocates fewer gun controls, has been actively involved in trying to abolish Canada's long-gun registry for more than a decade, CBC News has learned.

Read more at the CBC. Also, the Liberals reveal ties between the Tories and the NRA.

The Gun registry is safe and here to stay.

Jack Layton the leader of the NDP has stated just recently that his party has enough votes to keep the gun registry. This means that on the vote on semptember 22nd with the Bloc and Liberals whipping the vote and the NDP leader gathering enough votes to join them to keep them gun registry. Now I would have liked it more if no one whipped the vote, but I cangratulate the NDP leader for not whipping the vote and taking the intiative to gather the party together to keep the registry. The point of this is that our gun registry is staying to save Canadian lives of everyone.

Another NDP Vote

Another NDP MP has decided to vote for the long gun registry! Another MP decides to vote for the safety of Canadians and saving lives. If my math is correct, we only need one more NDP vote to make sure the gun registry stays. This news comes as the Conservatives release another one of their famous attack ad campaigns. In the ads is said that the NDP MPs should vote with their constituents on this issue. The newest MP to change his vote responds accordingly.

“The majority (of people in his riding) … have said ‘we think at this point we should keep it and we want you to go work on it,’” Allen told the Star.

Besides, how about those Conservative MPs representing urban ridings in Ontario and Quebec? Are they voting with the views of the people in their riding? I didn't think so. Unfortunately for the NDP and rural Liberal MPs, the Tories are pretty good at making propaganda-filled attack ads with nonsense as its main subject. On the other hand, most of the country sees right through the right-wing spin and propaganda. In any case, the long gun registry should stay for good as it is an effective way of saving lives.

The embattled long-gun registry received support on Monday from another New Democrat MP.

Malcolm Allen, who represents the Ontario riding of Welland, said Monday he will join three other NDP colleagues in switching their votes when Tory backbencher Candice Hoeppner's private member's bill to repeal the registry comes to a vote in Parliament.

Read more at CBC.

Come On Layton, Be a Leader!

On the upcoming vote to decide whether to scrap the long gun registry or not in nine days, Jack Layton refuses to stand up for the safety of Canadian citizens. He is going to let the bill pass because he doesn't want to whip the vote. I'm sorry, but the registry is a vital part of saving lives in Canada. The statistics show that the gun registry works. It's time for Jack Layton to stand up for what we call Canada, a safe place to live.

You say you have been listening to hunters and you quote them with great enthusiasm. Why have you not been listening as carefully to the women’s organizations, . . . to physicians, the Canadian Labour Congress, police associations and even to your own knowledge of women’s experience of violence involving the rifles and shotguns in their homes? In the past, you and the NDP have demonstrated a good understanding of the complex realities of the violence Canadian women experience in their lives. Where has that knowledge disappeared to over the summer?

Read more at the Toronto Star.

We can keep the registry

Now a 3rd MP in the NDP has said that they will switch there vote to keep the registry. The rest of the NDP can push themselves to save lives by voting to keep the gun registry. The conservatives are whipping the vote for the bill, and the Bloc and Liberals are whipping agsinst the bill. While the NDP will be having a free vote that allows the party MP to vote freely. the The Liberals predict that 149 will vote to save the registry while 152 will vote to get ride of the registry. That leaves 7 NDP votes undicided. No less than 6 people need to vote agaisnt the bill to save the registry. Some say unless the NDP whip the vote agaisnt the bill the registry will die. I think if Jack Layton keeps pushing, and if Micheal Ignatieff continues the pressure we can keep the registry without whipping the NDP vote. It is crucial that we keep the registry to save lives.

Read more here

Gun Registry Loser

According to Robert Silver, the Conservatives could actually be the real losers if the long gun registry is dismantled. His argument is that this is one of the issues that bring in a lot of money for the Tories. If this bill passes, the donors will not feel pressed to give so much money. This could make for a weaker Conservative Party. However, I hope this bill does not pass. The long gun registry is an important part of saving lives. We must keep it.

There has been much ink spilled over the last month, while I was away on special assignment for Silver-Powers, about the conundrum that Jack Layton finds himself in over the gun registry. If, as expected, the Liberal caucus votes unanimously against the "private member's bill" currently before the House (which might as well be a government bill) and Stephen Harper's caucus votes unanimously to gut it, the vote will come down to a divided NDP caucus.

Read more at the Globe and Mail.

Another NDP Vote Gained

The Tories have lost another NDP vote to scrap the long gun registry. Good news! We need to have the NDP support to keep the long gun registry and keep Canada a safer place. The gun registry has its faults, but the solution is not to scrap it. It needs to be improved, not destroyed. I congratulate this MP on changing his vote. I hope more will follow.

NDP Leader Jack Layton’s campaign to convince the rural members of his caucus that the federal long-gun registry is worth saving is starting to pay dividends.

One New Democrat MP who originally supported a Conservative private-member’s bill to scrap the registry says he is now convinced the legislation would be a step backward for public safety. And others within the caucus say they could be similarly swayed.

Read more at the Globe and Mail.

Layton to Compromise on Gun Registry

Jack Layton is planning to compromise over the long gun registry. Of course, the only reason this bill is going to pass is because he refuses to whip the vote. Even though it is a private members' bill, it is clearly something all Conservatives support. I would not be surprised if Stephen Harper himself was the mastermind of this plan. I also wouldn't be surprised if the Conservatives would call an election, stating this as one of the reasons. The RCMP and ER doctors say that the registry is instrumental in saving lives. Why won't Layton make sure that it stays alive?

OTTAWA—NDP Leader Jack Layton says he’s not worried about the backlash that may come from his party helping kill the long gun registry.

“You can’t go through life in politics worrying about who is going to blame you for voting one way or another on an issue,” Layton told a news conference Monday.

Instead the party is proposing a last-minute compromise he hopes will save the registry while addressing some of the concerns that gun owners and native groups have.

Read more at the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail.