A private member's bill to scrap the long-gun registry in Canada has been defeated in the House of Commons.
The vote was close: 153 against to 151 for. All members of parliament were in attendance. The Liberals, Bloc Québécois and 30 of 36 NDP MPs voted against the bill. The Conservatives, two Independent and six NDP members voted to scrap the registry.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper won't let go of the issue, and plans to make it central in the next election, especially targeting the ridings of the 14 MPs who changed their minds since the last vote on this bill.
Both the Liberal and NDP leaders have been urging the Conservative government to compromise and look at ways to improve the registry - such as decriminalizing first offences for not registering firearms. The Conservatives have shown no interest and will use this vote as a reason to elect a Conservative majority government.
More on Gun Registry Debate
Gun Registry Debate Timeline - CBC News
Reason Barely Defeats Gun Registry Anger - James Travers - The Toronto Star
Comments
It clearly shows that the opposition could care less what the general public wants. CTV did a polling which was broadcast on Question Periode and of the over 10,000 that answered the poll, 94% favored the scapping on the gun registry. The CBC poll received 77% for the same question. So the message does not stick to the opposition MP’s. Cheap politics!!!
The Californian (Bakersfield, Calif.)In
light of the double murder in a prominent California city where two 16
year old thugs with baseball bat and knife bludgeoned an elderly couple
to death after first robbing them in the hopes of acquiring more money
for their frequent marijuana usage, I wonder if this tragedy may have
…been avoided had the victims used a gun to protect themselves. Many
crime victims also are victims to our society’s undying trust that if we
are law abiding, others around us will be also, and those who are not
will be dealt with swiftly by law enforcement. Such is naive, impossible
and a great American myth. I’d rather be killed with a gun
every time canadians turn around our government throws another cash cow or a tax. i am a law biding member of canada you know that is the ones who do not mishandle guns and make a habit of shooting people. and as the law requires registered my guns criminals don’t i think we are being punished for the crimes of others and robed buy our own government