If elected leader of the federal NDP, Thomas Mulcair wants to find a solution to the long-gun registry debate that meets the needs of both rural- and urban-dwelling Canadians.
“I have a son that’s a police officer; the monuments to the Polytechnique victims are right outside of my window,” said the NDP leadership candidate, who was in town at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery Thursday afternoon.
“The reality I live in Montreal is completely different than the reality John (Rafferty) and Bruce (Hyer) live up here in Thunder Bay.”
Mulcair said he didn’t want to comment on internal caucus issues and dodged questions from reporters that surrounded the recent punishments placed on local MPs John Rafferty (Thunder Bay-Rainy River) and Bruce Hyer (Thunder Bay-Superior North) for voting to scrap the gun registry.
The NDP leadership hopeful instead said that the party needs to understand and respect the differences between different regions of the country.
When that happens, they can come to a solution that preserves the public protection the long-gun registry offers, while getting rid of the irritants in the system that have caused problems, he said.
Police forces nationwide say they want to maintain the information collected by the registry to help them in their jobs and in rural areas, particularly in the north, people have taken offense to the registry because of the cost, the delays and the bureaucracy involved with it, Mulcair said.
“Any open-minded look at the way the current registry has been functioning and the rules that have been put in place has to lead you to the conclusion that there are irritants in there that simply didn’t take into account the reality at ground level,” he said.
Mulcair spoke with residents of the city Thursday and said many feel strongly about the long-gun registry and the repercussions the local MPs face for voting against the party line. He feels anyone who seeks the leadership of the party has to build bridges on complex issues like this.
He added while there is no question the party system involves running on a platform of ideas, he admires Hyer and Rafferty for working so closely with their constituents.
“We have to work very hard to make sure that in the future we avoid these types of situations for all parties; it’s not something that’s helpful long-term,” said Mulcair.
Rafferty has publicly endorsed Mulcair in the NDP leadership race and said it’s because he’s honest, sincere and experienced.
“All of that adds up to having a leader of the NDP who can beat Stephen Harper,” he said.
