Has the Conservative Government forgotten their friends?

From John B. Holdstock

Has the Conservative Government forgotten their friends?

I am more than a little disturbed right now about what is happening – or more to the point not happening - in Ottawa right now concerning the long gun registry as well as other issues pertaining to firearms.

To begin with, Garry Breitkreuz (MP Yorkton-Melville) has been taken out of the loop after having kept this issue in the public eye for the past 12 years. In fact it appears as though the whole issue has been moved into the Prime Minister’s Office and we are not even sure whether the Minister of Public Safety, Stockwell Day or the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Vic Toews are privy to what discussions are taking place.

While the politicians fumble the Justice Ministry lawyers steam ahead with their plans to confiscate 12/6 handguns owned by those individuals who, due to no fault of their own, were not grandfathered. We are told that Department of Justice lawyers are pushing ahead in the courts with the hope of getting a positive ruling (from their point of view) before the government acts which would make it difficult if not impossible for the government to reverse the decision. If this is the case, who in hell is running the show down there? Would it not be simple for the Minister to declare a new amnesty on the ownership of these 12/6 owners until they can get it cleared up once and for all? (For more info on this issue look at the website www.twelvesix.ca/).

I have no idea who is whispering in the PM’s ear these days, but we can be sure that a lot of them are bureaucrats left over from the Liberal administration. There is even a rumour floating around that police lobbyists are talking about (on top of all the other rigmarole we have to go through) pushing for a 10 day waiting period in order to purchase a firearms. True? I have no idea, but I am beginning to get extremely nervous about what is happening in Ottawa.

The Conservative Party pulled a lot of votes because they were steadfast in their promise to get rid of the long gun registry. We hoped that on top of that they would take action on other aspects of the Firearms Act. There were newspaper articles after the election saying that the government was looking at getting rid of the license renewal fees. Is that actually on the books? Who knows? There are numerous things that they could have done and could still do as an act of faith. Instead there is this feeling that they are pulling back and trying to distance themselves from the whole issue.

I am hearing from people these days who are upset that they are getting letters from the Canadian Firearms Centre threatening them with confiscation of their firearms and with criminal action. They have suddenly realized what a nasty piece of work this legislation is and they are not happy.

The government needs to be reminded of their commitment. We realize that with their minority government position that they must proceed with caution, but they need to know that we remember.


Your contacts are:


Right Honourable Stephen Harper
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ont K1A 0A2

Phone: (613) 992-4211
Fax: (613) 941-6900
Harper.S@parl.gc.ca



Honourable Vic Toews
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ont. K1A 0A6

Phone: (613) 992-3128
Fax: (613) 995-1049
Toews.V@parl.gc.ca



Honourable Stockwell Day
Minister of Public Safety
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ont. K1A 0A6

Phone: (613) 995-1702
Fax: (613) 995-1154
Day.S@parl.gc.ca

Also, don't forget your MP. Remind him or her of what happened to the Mulroney Alberta MPs when they went to Ottawa hoping to make a difference. Instead, they were told to toe the line, even though they represented some of the core of Tory support. The result was a pitiful photograph on the front page of Alberta newspapers showing the Alberta MPs standing beside their leader in suppport of the GST (against their constituents wishes) just a few months before the Reform party swept the Tories out of the province. It could happen again but with worse consequences!

Hullo,

they've been in office for less than a month.

Believe it or not when running a country the gun registry might not be their absolute first priority.

Just chill out.

There have been numerous statements, indications and interviews saying they fully intend to rid it despite the opposition.

Give them your support and write letters but remember.

They've been in office no longer than a month!

I believe the Conservatives will rid Canada of the long gun registry. Probably by cutting off funding and starving it to death. This of course will take some time, its not going to happen over night. On the other hand it doesn't hurt to send out a few letters and remind them of their promises.

osterb and Tuc,

Good points. It's just when I read a piece like Holdstock's it reminds me of what happened the last time Alberta thought it had a voice in Ottawa. Something happens to people who get elected and go 'under the dome'. Even Klein understood it in the first years of his government (he's since forgotten all about it), when he told his caucus to 'get out from under the dome'. In other words, listen to the people who elect you. Yet, when these representatives get into power, they change. The principles under which they were elected slide for political expediency. I hope I'm wrong with this bunch, and especially on the gun registry. But I have this feeling I've seen it all before.

Just my thoughts on a snowy afternoon!

Don,
Time will tell and I hope your wrong too. I know power corrupts and if you can find an honest politician going into power, he'll have a different way of thinking once he's there for awhile.

I know if Harper doesn't make good on his promises, I think the people that put him in will put him out.

Its just......who do you vote for that will actually do something right?? I know I wouldn't vote for a Liberal if my life depended on it. (well, maybe not:\ )

Wait till the Auditor General's report.

I've heard some "inside reports" that made me grin from ear to ear

Stay tuned.