By SooToday.com Staff
SooToday.com
Thursday, November 05, 2009

NEWS RELEASE

SAULT STE. MARIE
CONSERVATIVE ELECTORIAL
DISTRICT ASSOCIATION

***************************
Gun Registry Bill passes: Tony ignores constituents

Yesterday, local MP Tony Martin sent out a press release stating his support for beef farmers, yet the very same day painted farmers and hunters as criminals when voting against the gun registry Private Members Bill.

MPs voted by a clear margin (164-137) to repeal the federal long-gun registry, signaling for the first time since the program was adopted 14 years ago that it is headed for the scrap heap.

“Unfortunately, support for this Bill by constituents were blatantly ignored by Mr. Martin,” said local Conservative President Josh Pringle.

The gun registry enacted changes to the Criminal Code of Canada in the wake of the 1989 Montreal massacre and required Canadians to register their firearms including long-barrelled hunting rifles or shotguns by the former Chretien government.

Since 2006, the Conservative Party has brought in successive "amnesties" under the law and proposed government legislation to kill the registry.

The Conservatives were supported by 12 New Democrats, eight Liberals and one independent member.

“The vote in favour of Bill C-391 was a big victory for the Conservative Party, who has been fighting for years to end the wasteful and inefficient registry,” said Pringle.

The proposed legislation now moves to an all-party committee for public hearings before it returns to the House of Commons for a final vote and then heads to the Senate.

The bill would only end the long-gun portion of the registry, eliminating the need to register rifles and shotguns.

The requirement to register handguns would remain in place.

“Mr. Martin tells us how his 'fingerprints' are on every issue that has affected this area. Today he certainly left his mark painting local farmers and hunters as criminals when voting against this Bill,” said Pringle.

We could effortlessly debate Tony Martin’s tirade against the Conservative Government and we look forward to doing so during the next election.

***************************