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Hayes brings in a big gun to talk big gun issue (update)

The incumbent candidate for Sault Ste. Marie says he still hears people’s concerns about a return of the long-gun registry even as one of his opponents suggests the economy is top of mind for most people he speaks to.

The incumbent candidate for Sault Ste. Marie says he still hears people’s concerns about a return of the long-gun registry even as one of his opponents suggests the economy is top of mind for most people he speaks to.

Conservative incumbent Candice Bergen, of the Manitoba riding of Portage-Lisgar, was welcomed this morning during a policy announcement at Conservative Party candidate Bryan Hayes’ candidacy office regarding the registry, which was scrapped in 2012.

Bergen, who served as Minister of State for Social Development, was responsible for introducing the original private members bill which eventually led to scrapping of the long-gun registry.

“I think people in different regions are concerned in different issues. Certainly the long-gun registry is a very important issue in this riding,” said Bergen.

Hayes said he has been hearing from voters concerned about a return of the registry while knocking on doors this election.

Scrapping the registry was among the campaign promises Conservatives made during the lead-up to the 2011 federal election.

“I would suggest our government’s position on that was a good part of the reason I was elected. I was very proud we followed through on our promise,” said Hayes.

Both Hayes and Bergen suggested the Liberals and NDP would reinstate a long-gun registry if either party were to form government.

Terry Sheehan — who is running for the Liberal Party — said he has also heard some concern about the return of the registry, but that isn’t what the majority of people are talking about.

“The number one thing I am hearing about is jobs and the economy. We’re at 12.4 percent [unemployment] and over the last few days I have heard over and over again about the imminent layoffs, which was of major concern to people. They aren’t talking about the long-gun registry,” said Sheehan.

He added, “The long-gun registry is a non-issue. We have made it perfectly clear we are not bringing the long-gun registry back.”

NDP candidate Skip Morrison said the issue does come up when he knocks on doors, but only because of the misleading campaign advertising sent out by the Tories.

“Instead of tackling the tough issues Conservatives are trying to confuse voters,” said Morrison.

He added, “Tom Mulcair has been clear and I will be clear — the NDP will not bring in a long-gun registry.”

Bergen took aim at a high-profile Liberal candidate running in Scarborough during the announcement.

“Remember Bill Blair? Chief of Toronto Police? One of the biggest proponents of the long-gun registry,” said Bergen.

She mocked the former police chief, saying, “‘Oh it’s going to save lives, police use it.” 

“Absolutely false, police didn’t use it,” she added.

Current Sault Ste. Marie Police Chief Bob Keetch said the long-gun registry was one of many tools police used in the course of their duties before it was eventually scrapped.

“The registry allowed the police to query certain addresses if we were dispatching to a domestic situation then we had the ability to access those records to determine if there were firearms registered within that household. Was that an investigative avenue? I would suggest yes,”

Keetch conceded that many weapons used in criminal activity were not registered and that most legal long-gun owners are law-abiding.

“I can see both sides of the argument, I really can,” said Keetch.

The registry was created in 1998 by the Liberal Government in part as response to the murder of 14 women at Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal.

Hayes’ announcement comes one day after the murder of nine people during a mass-shooting in Oregon.

Hayes said the announcement reinforces the Conservative Government’s track record when it comes to election promises.

“It’s important to point out we kept our promise. And that’s the message. We kept our promise. As a Conservative Government I think we had 100 pieces of legislation or 100 things we said we would do and I think we’ve completed over 90 percent of those. We keep our word,” said Hayes.

(PHOTO: MP Candice Bergen speaks this morning during a policy announcement at the candidacy office of Conservative incumbent Bryan Hayes. Kenneth Armstrong/SooToday)


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Kenneth Armstrong

About the Author: Kenneth Armstrong

Kenneth Armstrong is a news reporter and photojournalist who regularly covers municipal government, business and politics and photographs events, sports and features.
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