PARLIAMENT HILL—The Conservative government has postponed final Commons debate on a controversial bill that would fulfill a longstanding promise to scrap the federal long-gun registry.Third reading on Bill C-19, which contains measures for the destruction of millions of registry records on privately owned rifles and shotguns in Canada and an end to a requirement that firearms dealers or traders verify the licences of gun buyers, was scheduled to begin when the Commons resumes sitting on Monday, Jan. 30.
But opposition as well as government MPs who were set to take part learned late this week that debate on the bill would not begin as planned when the Commons convenes, despite the importance Conservative MPs attach to the legislation and the key role the promise to dismantle the registry played defeating many rural New Democrat and Liberal candidates in last year's federal election.
One Conservative indicated the bill might not be put up for debate anytime next week.
Conservative MP Ryan Leef (Yukon), who acknowledged the government’s promise to eliminate the registry is “near and dear” to him as well as his constituents, told The Hill Times that he and other Conservative MPs have to adjust their own expectations to whatever government priorities have surfaced that will once again put the legislation on hold.
“It’s not happening Monday,” Mr. Leef said after New Democrat and Liberal MPs confirmed they had been told by their own party leadership that debate on Bill C-19 would not take place as the government had earlier indicated.
“I just have to keep communicating with my riding and explain, there’s a delay here right now, it’s going to be brought forward, there’s no signalling that this isn’t going to happen, it’s going to happen, and I just hope people have the patience,” said Mr. Leef.
He told The Hill Times that the promise to scrap the registry was among one of the biggest campaign issues that helped him defeat former Yukon Liberal MP Larry Bagnell in the federal election last May.
“In the Yukon it was very important and maybe had one of the greatest influences for my election,” said Mr. Leef, interviewed as he turned out on Parliament Hill to fill in Thursday at a meeting of the Commons Health Committee.
“It is a big one, but I think I have to manage my own expectations with it as well and say, ‘Okay, although it’s near and dear to me, it’s near and dear to my riding, I recognize that Canada has a whole bunch of issues, the government has a lot of priorities they want to work on,’ ” Mr. Leef said.
While the Conservatives used time allocation to limit debate on several other key initiatives during the fall sitting—including the omnibus crime legislation the government rushed through the Commons and the Senate so it could become law before Christmas—the gun registry bill sat on the House’s Order Paper for more than two weeks after the Conservative majority on the Commons Public Safety Committee passed it through its final hearing on Nov. 29.
The delay prompted opposition MPs to speculate once again about Conservative motives, since Prime Minister Stephen Harper (Calgary Southwest, Alta.) has promised since he first won power in 2006 that his government would scrap the registry. Registry opponents say Mr. Harper originally went even further, promising to do away with all provisions in Bill C-68, the original 1995 Liberal legislation that established the registry and other new gun-control measures.
On Dec. 16, 2011, the day the House of Commons adjourned for its six-week holiday and winter recess, Conservative MP Brian Jean (Fort McMurray-Athabasca, Alta.), used a prepared statement in the Commons to herald Bill C-19 as one of the “great Canadian achievements in 2011,” along with shipbuilding contracts, a post-nuptial Canadian visit by Prince William and the Duchess of York, legislation to scrap the Wheat Board, the end of Canada’s combat mission in Afghanistan and the election of the Mr. Harper’s first Conservative majority government.
Opposition MPs say there is no guarantee the Conservatives will move as quickly as their own MPs expect, and may intend to keep the registry around for at least two more months, to generate as much political and fundraising capital as it can over the prospect a future NDP government may reinstate the system.
Several leading candidates in the NDP leadership race have said they believe the registry should be reinstated if the Conservatives scrap it as promised. The party’s leadership vote is scheduled for March 24.
“I think the longer they drag it, the more money they can raise,” said Liberal MP Francis Scarpaleggia (Lac Saint Louis, Que.). ”They were running radio ads before Christmas suggesting the Conservatives are working to get rid of the gun registry, maybe they feel they could raise some more money the longer they drag it out.”
Speculation over possible government amendments to the legislation—perhaps prompted by controversy over the black hole that would be created with the destruction of gun-purchase sales for the past decade—also surfaced.
“There are a few things that, not necessarily changed the debate, but that caused them some problems with their approach,” Mr. Harris said. “They have been taking an approach to this that is not evidence based, it’s all been based on their support for the gun lobby, frankly, and they’ve ignored the concerns of those who have an interest in public safety.”
A spokesman for Government House Leader Peter Van Loan (York-Simcoe, Ont.), communications director Fraser Malcolm, did not respond to questions about the bill’s delay by 5 p.m. Thursday.
Public Safety Minister Vic Toews’ (Provencher, Man.) communications director, Michael Patton, did not respond to a question about whether the government plans to propose amendments to the bill.
Original Article
Source: Hill Times
Author: TIM NAUMETZ
No comments:
Post a Comment