Long-Gun Registry: What's Going On?

This morning, practising what I preach, I began writing letters to MPs as part of the Canadian Labour Congress's Keep Our Communities Safe campaign. It took only about 15 minutes to contact 17 MPs to ask them to vote in favour of maintaining the gun registry in Canada. However, I came across some very unsettling information in the process.

Other related posts:
Long-gun: A Change of Heart

As you may be aware from my previous posts, the Conservative government is moving towards abolishing the long-gun registry through Bill-C391. This odd term, "long gun," refers to shotguns and rifles, as they are the most common type of weapon used in Canada. If the Conservative government succeeds, the nearly 8 million firearm records consulted daily by law enforcement and police will simply be deleted. As I pointed out in my Hypothetical Society post, this firearm database is consulted 10,000 times a day and has reduced the spousal homicide rate by 50%. Please also bear in mind that women are 4 times more likely to be killed by their spouses than men.

In order to stop Bill-C391 from becoming law, the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) has urged voters to contact the opposition MPs who voted with the Conservatives to persuade them to change their vote. The CLC states that we need only 14 more MPs to change their vote to defeat this bill in its final reading. I started by e-mailing these people this morning and learned incredulously that MPs Ashton, Allen, Angus, Cullen, Bevington, C. Hughes, Gravelle, Hyer, Maloway, Raferty, Stoffer, and Thibeault are all members of the NDP, a political party that I had always believed advocated and supported measures to end gun violence and violence against women.

The long-gun registry was implemented in the early nineties in response to the Montreal Massacre. On December 6, 1989, gunman Marc Lépine walked into the École Polytechnique and shot 28 women killing 14.

Below you will find the list and contact info of opposition MPs who voted with the Conservative government to abolish the long-gun registry. I've put an asterisk beside the NDP members.

Ontario

Allen, Malcolm - Welland - 60, King Street, Welland (Ontario) L3B 6A4
T: 905-788-2204 F: 905-788-0071 Email: Allen.Ma@parl.gc.ca *NDP member

Angus, Charlie - Timmins-James Bay - 20, Duncan Ave. South C.P. 276 Kirkland Lake (Ontario) P2N 3H7
T: 705-567-2747 F: 705-567-5232 Email: AngusC@parl.gc.ca *NDP member

Gravelle, Claude - Nickel Belt - 203-2945, route 69 Nord Val Caron (Ontario) P3N 1N3
T: 705-897-2222 F: 705-897-2223 Email: Gravelle.C@parl.gc.ca *NDP member

Hughes, Carol - Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing - 20 Prince Edward Walk Elliot Lake (Ontario) P5A 1Z7 *NDP member
T: 705-848-8080 F: 705-848-1818 Email: Hughes.C@parl.gc.ca

Hyer, Bruce - Thunder Bay—Superior North-69, North Court Road, Thunder Bay (Ontario) P7A 4T7 *NDP member
T: 807-345-1818 F: 807-345-4752 Email: Hyer.B@parl.gc.ca

Rafferty, John - Thunder Bay—Rainy River- 409, rue George Thunder Bay (Ontario) P7E 5Y9
T: 807-623-6000 F: 807-623-6001 Email: Rafferty.J@parl.gc.ca*NDP member

Rota, Anthony - Nipissing—Timiskaming - 133, Main Street West, North Bay (Ontario) P1B 1T6
T: 705-474-3700 F: 705-474-6964 Email: RotaA@parl.gc.ca

Thibeault, Glenn - Sudbury - 103A – 40, rue Elm Sudbury (Ontario)
P3C 1S8 T: 705-673-7107 F: 705-673-0944 Email:Thibeault.G@parl.gc.ca *NDP member

Manitoba

Ashton, Niki - Churchill 307-83, prom. Churchill Thompson, (Manitoba) R8N 0L4
T: 866-785-0522 Email: Ashton.N@parl.gc.ca *NDP member

Maloway, Jim - Elmwood—Transcona 4-1600, Regent Avenue West Winnipeg (Manitoba) R2C 3B5
T: 204-984-2499 F: 204-984-2502 Email: Maloway.J@parl.gc.ca *NDP member

Newfoundland & Labrador

Andrews, Scott - Avalon 944-956, route Conception Bay Kelligrews, Newfoundland A1X 3H1
T: 709-834-3424 F: 709-834-3628 Email: Andrews.S@parl.gc.ca

Russell, Todd - Labrador C.P. 1401, succursale B, 69, Hamilton River Drive, Happy Valley-Goose Bay (Newfoundland) A0P 1E0
T: 709-896-2483 F: 709-896-9425 Email: RusseT@parl.gc.ca

Simms, Scott - Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor - 61, chemin Elizabeth, Gander Newfoundland, A1V 1G4
T: 709-256-3130 F: 709-256-3169 Email: SimmsSc@parl.gc.ca

Northwest Territories

Bevington, Dennis - Western Arctic 4908-49th Street CP 1986
Yellowknife North West Territories X1A 2P5
T: 867-873-6995 F: 867-920-4233 Email: BevinD@parl.gc.ca *NDP member

Nova Scotia

Stoffer, Peter - Sackville—Eastern Shore 2900, route 2 Fall River Nova Scotia B2T 1W4
T: 902-861-2311 F: 902-861-4620 Email: StoffP@parl.gc.ca *NDP member

New Brunswick

D'Amours, Jean-Claude - Madawaska—Restigouche 71, rue Saint François Edmundston, New Brunswick E3V 1E5
T: 506-739-4600 F: 506-739-4607 Email: DamouJ@parl.gc.ca

Prince Edward Island

Easter, Wayne (Hon.) - Malpeque C.P. 70 Hunter River, Prince Edward Island C0A 1N0
T: 902-964-2428 F: 902-964-3242 Email: EasteW@parl.gc.ca

12 comments:

Anonymous | March 16, 2010 at 3:03 PM

Please stop twisting statistics to suite your views. Homicides by firearm have been decreasing since the late 1970's. This information is from Statistics Canada and is public. I think you should at least do your research before posting such false-facts if you want anyone to take you seriously.
The MP's who voted in support of C-391 have done so and know that the "facts" you are stating are nothing but tiwsted half-truths, you must follow the book of Wendy Cukier and her minions.

Heather | March 16, 2010 at 6:54 PM

If you feel so sure of your own statistics then why didn't you leave your name Anonymous.

La Rédaction | March 17, 2010 at 9:51 PM

Je n'en peux plus du discours "Ne touchez pas à mon gun !".
Je ne vois vraiment pas en quoi ce registre peut brimer la liberté des chasseurs.
Ce projet de loi veut retirer les armes de chasse du registre pour n'y conserver que les armes de poing. Ce qui reviendrait à la situation qui prévalait avant l'instauration de ce fameux registre.
Ce qui laisserait des gens comme Marc Lépine se procurer des armes de chasse sans que personne ne soit au courant, comme cela s'est passé en 1989.
Et je signe :

Heather | March 24, 2010 at 4:23 AM

Je suis complètement d'accord. On ne veut pas de ton arme, simplement que votre arme soit inscrite et c'est tout! Et la paperasse n'est pas une excuse!

Don Rollins | April 19, 2010 at 11:51 PM

Bravo to the MPs that had the guts to stand up and admit that the registry was inefectual and a waste of taxpayers money. If you think that a registry is going to eliminate crime, you need to rethink the reality of who is doing the killing on the streets.

Heather | April 20, 2010 at 9:22 PM

How can a registry that is consulted 10,000 times a day and has reduced the spousal homicide rate by 50% be "ineffectual" and a waste of the taxpayers' money?

Oh I know! You just wanted me to put your name in my draw for the graphic novel, AYA: the Secrets Come Out! :-)

Ian Baker | May 3, 2010 at 8:30 PM

Ian Baker The 10,000 inquiries you mention are all inquiries to the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) which "pings" when any inquiry is made, traffic violations, shoplifting or any other minor infraction. There is not 10,000 gun inquiries every year. Spousal homicides have been on the decline since mid 70's, are you really suggesting that it's fallen by 50% since the introduction of bill c-68. The Canadian Chief of Police Association is paid big time by the producers of registry software. Stop the lies and learn the facts

Heather | May 4, 2010 at 2:30 AM

My statistics come from the Canadian Labour Congress, an organization that I deem a reliable source.

Just a reminder. If you want to post comments on my blog, you have to be respectful of me and my views, as I am respectful of yours. These "lies" I have chosen to post are not things I have made up, and I don't appreciate your insinuation.

There are people paying money on both sides, sir. The firearm lobby is much more powerful and is paying to make it easier to obtain and use firearms in this country.

As a person who lost a childhood friend to an accidental shooting, I fully support any legislation that requires people to be more responsible for their firearms. No one's saying you can't have one.

Ian Baker | May 4, 2010 at 2:15 PM

Agreed. I apologize if I was disrespectful to you. I'm sorry for the loss of your friend. I enjoy shooting as much as someone who enjoys golfing or fishing or any other pastime. I don't believe registration solves anything except for the government when they want to ban certain firearms. Have you ever been to Vermont? Did you know it's the only State that does not require a permit to carry. I'm sure you felt safe there. But perhaps you didn't know. And yes, I should respect your opinions, not everyone can agree.

Heather | May 4, 2010 at 4:42 PM

Thanks for writing back, Ian. I think that it's important for people to be able to agree to disagree. That way, there's a greater probability of finding common ground and, hopefully, some kind of compromise or solution.

I do understand that some people enjoy shooting, just like any other leisure activity, and I'm sure you, like many others, practice gun safety, but there's always those few that ruin it for everyone, like Marc Lépine, the person behind the Montreal Massacre.

Whether the long gun registry is responsible for a 10%, 20% or 50% reduction in spousal homicide is immaterial. The point is that it has saved lives and made our communities safer.

What kind of action do you propose?

Ian | May 4, 2010 at 5:53 PM

I don't know what action is called for. All I know is that the activity I enjoy is being slowly shut down bit by bit. Shooting ranges are closing because they no longer can afford the continuing new rules that bureaucrats who have never fired a gun keep making up. Many gun stores have gone out of business, to the delight of many I'm sure, but these were the livelihood of many. I'm talking about Quebec mostly. I know you have probably never been to a club but you would be impressed by the safety and respect of firearms by all members. I have seen police officers use the club and most if not all would be banned from membership, I couldn't believe it. I understand the fear of the unknown that people have for firearms, if I was in combat or someone pointed one at me I'd be fearful too. Unfortunatly there will always be others who think nothing of human life. If I knew the the powers that be would put into law that as far as gun laws go, it would not change any more I would happily live with the current registry. But like I said it's bit by bit. Thank you for the kind words after I was rude to you. Perhaps in another situation I would think as you do.

Heather | May 4, 2010 at 7:23 PM

No offense taken for the off colour comment. It was simply to inform you or anyone else who wants to leave a comment that I'm open to listening to another side of an argument as long as it's delivered in a respectful way.

I appreciate the time you have taken to leave these comments. I have indeed learned some things, and I'm sorry to hear that you can no longer enjoy your hobby as you once did. H

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