Bruce Hyer and John Rafferty must stick to their guns – literally.
With one of their NDP colleagues earlier this week announcing he’ll change tactics and vote to keep the federal long-gun registry in place, the two local MPs have both said they will not toe the line set by party leader Jack Layton.
Layton, who has vaguely proposed changes to a Sept. 22 bill designed to kill the registry, is hoping to change the minds of 11 of his members by the time the vote takes place in the House of Commons.
Hyer said Wednesday that he will never vote to kill the bill, but he does favour continued dialogue.
Rafferty knows pressure from both sides of the registry is coming.
The bottom line is the legislation is costly, and has yet to be proven effective as a method of keeping guns out of the hands of criminals – or catching them after the fact.
Though police chiefs across the country are in favour of the long-gun registry, a recent survey of front-line officers show they aren’t.
The long-gun registry places undue financial hardships on law-abiding citizens, turning many into criminals if they do not comply.
Long guns aren’t usually the weapon of choice in crimes. Handguns, which are all but outlawed, are still the weapon of choice for criminals.
It’s an idea whose time is long gone.
With one of their NDP colleagues earlier this week announcing he’ll change tactics and vote to keep the federal long-gun registry in place, the two local MPs have both said they will not toe the line set by party leader Jack Layton.
Layton, who has vaguely proposed changes to a Sept. 22 bill designed to kill the registry, is hoping to change the minds of 11 of his members by the time the vote takes place in the House of Commons.
Hyer said Wednesday that he will never vote to kill the bill, but he does favour continued dialogue.
Rafferty knows pressure from both sides of the registry is coming.
The bottom line is the legislation is costly, and has yet to be proven effective as a method of keeping guns out of the hands of criminals – or catching them after the fact.
Though police chiefs across the country are in favour of the long-gun registry, a recent survey of front-line officers show they aren’t.
The long-gun registry places undue financial hardships on law-abiding citizens, turning many into criminals if they do not comply.
Long guns aren’t usually the weapon of choice in crimes. Handguns, which are all but outlawed, are still the weapon of choice for criminals.
It’s an idea whose time is long gone.
