This article was last updated on May 20, 2022
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I’ve become embroiled in a Twitter discussion with another Canadian regarding the gun registry. They use Twitlonger so get more than 140 characters. I think that violates the spirit of Twitter so I refuse to use it. I’m getting tired of summarizing myself so I’m going to blog my replies to their tweets and invite them to read my replies.
@Proud_Canadian1 said:
@atheistincanada do you think if the opposition failed this evening they would have just left it at that? Please! Do you call it democracy when the opposition Mps campaign to scrap the registry and than do a turn about face and decide to keep it? The government has all the right in the world to push forward in defeating the registry and it’s up to Canadians to say no or yes in a election campaign whenever that comes. Need I remind you the government has been campaigning about this ever since they were first elected in 2006 and increased their seat number in the process.
I had originally said that by refusing to drop the issue, Harper was thwarting democracy. I will retract that statement because you are correct, I would have expected the Opposition to continue fighting the bill. I do, however, believe there is a distinction between continually presenting a bill and refusing to stop until you get the answer you like, and continuing to block a bill. One is offensive, one is a defensive reaction. Regardless, I will point to prorogation, taxing of income trusts, constant non-confidence votes on mundane issues and whipping the vote on a Private Members Bill as illustrations of Harper thwarting democracy.
20 Opposition MPs voted to quash the gun registry, but whether or not they actually campaigned on quashing it is another story. Changing your mind from the first 2 votes is apart of the democratic process. You hear arguments, you vote; you hear more arguments, you vote. @Proud_Canadian1, you claim those 20 MPs campaigned on quashing the gun registry, please provide proof.
Harper campaigned in quashing the gun registry and other individual CPC MPs did as well, but I know that my CPC MP did not campaign on that platform and I am certain not all CPC MPs campaigned in that platform. As a result, and considering this was a PMB, they should have been allowed a free vote, as is tradition with PMBs. Then perhaps my MP would have listened to the “elite” voices of my urban riding and not voted in favour of Bill C-391. You have no problem slamming the Opposition MPs, but fail to see the grievances committed by the CPC on this matter. I also do not think you can conclude that because the CPC campaigned on quashing the registry, that is why they won more seats. That is a causal relationship that you cannot make with the available information. At best, all you can claim is that they are correlated
I’m sure they did [get letters to save the registry] ,but don’t you think they also got letters to scrap it? If you get elected on that basis you should respect it. As to whether the Conservatives whipped their vote or not,I’m not sure! But what I do know is that the Conservatives campaigned along with the 8 liberals and 12 NDPs to scrap the registry if they were elected not to maintain it.
Again, you have not proved that they were elected because of a promise to kill the registry. You haven’t proved they even campaigned on that platform, never mind won on that basis. Back up your claims or stop making them. Even assuming those 20 MPs campaigned on quashing the registry, Harper campaigned on making his government more transparent, reforming the senate and not taxing income trusts, among other things. All of those campaign promises have been broken. We all know that campaign promises are to be taken with a grain of salt.
I know a former federal Liberal MP and she in fact knows the Conservatives whipped their vote. It is common knowledge among the media.
oh common! Those 20 MPs and the Conservatives all said during the last election campaign that they were going to work to scrap the registry,what more do you need? Did your Mp say that he was going to work to keep the registry?
PROVE IT! And see above. MPs pick a few things and say they are going to do them. They don’t say I will do X, Y and Z, but not A, B, C, D… It would also be unwise for a CPC MP to campaign against something his leader is campaigning for, or vice versa. I live in urban Canada, my MP doesn’t talk about rural issues, such as guns. He should have been allowed a free vote.
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