MP Keith Martin's Flip-Flop

I listened to MP Keith Martin explaining his flip-flop on the long-gun registry last evening. I found his assertion that all along, his position hadn't changed to be quite incredible. First of all, he campaigned to scrap the registry during the last election. Then last fall he supported bill C-391, the bill that would have scrapped the registry when it came before the house for second reading. Now that he has just voted to keep the registry, he's saying he supports it because police have said its needed to do their jobs. In fact, it wasn't the rank-and-file police saying this, it was the politically motivated Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP). Clearly, MP Keith Martin's vote was motivated by the decision by the Liberal leader to "whip" the vote on the motion to kill bill C-391, derailing the bill that would have scrapped the long-gun registry. This has prevented Keith Martin from properly representing the will of his constituents and undermined our democratic process. I believe that democracy should come before Parliamentary discipline and this is why I've decided to volunteer my humble efforts to elect Troy Desouza in Esquimalt Juan-de-fuca in the next federal election.

The Excellent Long-Gun Registry

This Long-gun registry has saved countless lives and prevented the loss of billions of dollars in theft and property damage. Violent crime has completely stopped as have suicides, spousal abuse, child abuse, road rage, shoplifting, graffiti and jay-walking. All of these benefits are due to the excellent long-gun registry. It is a highly cost effective, accurate and secure system. Those evil western farmers, hunters and target shooting enthusiasts should just shut up and register each and every nasty firearm so we can live in peace and harmony, safe in the knowledge that the government is there to protect us from these gun-loving knuckle draggers.

Now please excuse me while I find a big red tent to hide under.

Rally to Scrap the Long-Gun Registry

Prior to attending a Labour Day rally in support of Candice Hoeppner’s private member's Bill to scrap the controversial long-gun registry (Bill C-391), I thought I would write about my reasons for attending. I am normally not someone that attends political rallies. However, I feel this is a crucial time to get involved in some way because of the actions of the Liberal Opposition to defeat this Bill and retain the costly and ineffective long-gun registry.

On September 22, there will be a crucial vote in the House of Commons on Private Members’ Bill C-391. This vote is in response to a motion raised by the Opposition-dominated Public Safety Committee that recommended the House of Commons should not proceed further with Bill C-391. What I find particularly distasteful is that Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff has decided to whip Liberal MPs in this vote to effectively defeat the Bill, even though 8 of his Liberal MPs voted in favour of Bill C-391 at second reading. In the past, these 8 Liberal MPs voted to scrap the long-gun registry because it made sense and it is what their constituents wanted. They put common sense and the will of their constituents before partisan party politics. However, now the Liberal leader has decided to prevent MPs from properly representing their constituents by forcing them to vote along party lines.

I believe that democracy should come before Parliamentary discipline. These MPs will either answer to their leader after the September 22 vote, or to their constituents later at the next election.