Harper's handlers appear to want to "get these embarassing right wing factions off his back" and move on to the more lucrative practice of harvesting votes from eastern liberal swing voters.....most of which support gun control and don't want to see even unconstitutional, tax sink hole gun laws tinkered with... let alone repealed as had been promised by the CPC.
Also there is ample evidence to presume the new ministers in charge of the gun law changes are intimidated by the power of the police lobby and the entrenched liberal-appointed departmental administrators....both of whom do not want to see their little administrative dynasty tumble with the repeal of C-68 and returning gun law to constitutional confines by decriminalizing non criminal ownership and use. If the CPC totally decriminalizes the non criminal possession of a firearm, multi millions of dollars fall out of the justice and police budgets. This is why they are fighting the CPC on repealing and properly rewriting the firearms law.
C-21 still requires a gun registry and the money needed to administer the data and issue authorizations....you still must report any transaction you do with a gun ( buy-sell-trade) to the police who record it against your licence and update the registry files.....it isstill the requirement to report a gun sale ot purchase under criminal penalty as was the registry...it's just a paperless affair under the CPC plan.....Alan Rock could have voted in favor of this "change"....it is NOT what the CPC promised to do in their policy statements....it is NOT "scrapping the registry" and it is NOT replacing licencing with the former FAC system of background check.
Unless and until I see a written signed promise by the PMO to persue further changes to the firearms act when they have a majority, I will assume we have been had.
Have Canada's firearms owners been sold out again?
Like Bernardo, my gut instinct says yes.
The Old Shell Game
As I write this, Bill C-21 has just been introduced in the House of
Commons. C-21 is a small baby step in the right direction but hardly what is needed to de-fang the Firearms Act. We have been told that it is "symbolic" and "just the first step"but one has to wonder if the gun
community has been the victim of the old shell game.
Certainly, the Conservative Party is aware of our issues... or are
they? I confess to being a little appalled at the distinct lack of
knowledge displayed by many Conservative MPs in regards to the Firearms
Act. 12 (2), (3), (4), (5), (6) are just numbers to our elected
representatives and it sure isn't because they haven't been told. They
have, MANY times.
Maybe it's because they weren't listening? I know many of you have
talked to them and they certainly appear attentive. But I have to
wonder... when they see your lips moving, are they hearing the words or
counting the votes?
Now please don't misunderstand me. People like MP Garry Breitkreuz are
beyond reproach. There are several others too, who have been fighting
for us in the trenches for a long time and are as well versed on the
Firearms Act as any of us. Unfortunately though, these are not the
people in power.
It has been said that a politician only has two jobs. 1) To get
elected. 2) To get re-elected. As cynical as that sounds, it is mostly
true. Many of the old Reformers did not run for public office because
they were politicians at heart. Many of them ran because they were
anti-politician and wanted to make a change in the political make up of
Canada. Of course they were right but unfortunately, many Canadians
didn't feel we needed a change badly enough to vote for Preston and Crew.
There is no doubt Steven Harper noted this. As soon as the election
started we were asked to keep a low profile, almost like a demented
uncle the family is ashamed of. Of course we did as requested because the thought of Paul (ban the handguns) Martin forming the next
government was too sickening to contemplate, but also because we knew we had much work to do with the Conservative party if they were to form the next government and attempt to fulfill their promises.
We were in action immediately after the election informing the new
Ministers of what needed to be done. We even presented a comprehensive
document to them outlining precisely how they could achieve these things
without going to the House with new legislation. The easy way. We told
them of the urgency required to deal with 12(6) and the simplicity of
dealing with SAPs.
Their response was to completely ignore our recommendations and proceed
with a legislative solution to the long gun registry. A solution that
might even pass. Maybe. At last count 162 MPs would vote to kill the
long gun registry and while that is a majority, it is a slim one,
especially when it means trusting the Liberals, Bloc and NDP to respect
the tenants of a "free vote" and allow their MPs to vote their conscience.
Still, killing the long gun registry is a very good thing and not to be
taken lightly. Certainly it removes the bugaboo of confiscation to a
great degree and simplifies everyone's lives. Way better than Paul
Martin's handgun ban.
This summer, while your MP is in his/her constituency, you need to go
talk to them. Politely, quietly, firmly. Elicit their support for Bill
C-21 but insist they take the next step too. The Firearms Act is still
full of trouble for gun owners and the removal of the long gun registry
makes it only a little less so. We will also be communicating with you
later this summer to advise you on what specific actions we need you to
do to keep these folks on their toes.
I don't like the way C-21 "feels". My gut level intuition tells me the
Conservatives have done just enough (barely) to say "we kept our
promise", now go away! I sure hope I'm wrong (I've been wrong before)
but this whole thing smells like Harper's playing the old shell game on us.
Tony Bernardo
Executive Director
CILA
