Area MPs to vote down gun registry

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Area MPs to vote down gun registry

By Jamie Smith, tbnewswatch.com

Both area MPs will vote to end the controversial long-gun registry when a private members bill to end it comes up for second reading Wednesday.

|MP Bruce Hyer (NDP, Thunder Bay – Superior North), who seconded Conservative MP Candice Hoeppner’s (Portage-Lisgar) bill said a vote for the legislation would be an "approval in principle" but would still need to pass a committee, a third reading and the Senate.

"The real problem in most cities is handguns in the hands of gangs," Hyer said. "There is not a very large problem at all with rifles and shotguns used by hunters and trappers."

Hyer said the registration of rifles and shotguns is redundant because gun owners already have to license themselves every five years. Police would still know who owns legal guns Hyer said.

"Most of the illegal guns used by gangs or criminals they’re never going to register their guns anyway obviously," said Hyer. "This current bill penalizes and hassles the legal hunter, trapper, farmer and it does little if anything to protect…general society from firearm abuses."

Hyer said restricted weapons such as assault rifles would still need to be registered. He said the current registry has been a huge expenditure with little effect. While he wants the registry done away with, Hyer said he also wants it done away with because a majority of his constituents agree.

"We’ve spent billions of dollars on a boondoggle. The Liberals really screwed this up when they originally created it," he said.

The vote is expected to take place between 5 and 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Because he thinks the vote will be a close one, Hyer said he has been busy in the Hill’s halls convincing undecided MPs that they should vote with him.

"This is a problem of urban versus rural. A lot of urban MPs and a lot of urban people just don’t understand the cultural differences," Hyer said. "Because of hunting, because of trapping…we have a culture where more people understand guns, they own guns, they use guns and they use them safely."

MP John Rafferty (Thunder Bay-Atikokan) is also expected to vote for the private member’s bill said Hyer.

Both MPs have been accused of not supporting the legislation last month when MP Merv Tweed (Brandon-Souris) mailed area constituents in Northwestern Ontario. Hyer called Tweed’s accusations a lie.

"I considered it to be libellous and actually I’m consulting a lawyer and considering legal action on what was mailed into my riding because I’ve been so clearly on the record for so long," Hyer said. "To have a political opinion that differs from mine is just fine but to absolutely lie in writing about what I’ve done and stood for…I seconded the bill. My goodness."

Tbnewswatch.com tried to contact MP John Rafferty (NDP, Thunder Bay – Rainy River), however, he was not immediately available to provide comment.

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