Priorities

[rockpile]

I see in today's news that the Conservatives have
established two priorities to fast track into
legislation. One is to get rid of the single desk
(enough has already been said) and two, to create
30 more seats in the Commons. For a cost of about
19 million dollars per year we will have some 30
more pieces of deadwood for taxpayers to cover off
on. Opposition parties had suggested alternatives
through redistribution and even reducing the
number of MPs. But the normal avenue of
discussion has been short circuited where Provinces
and others are denied any comment or input. Why?
But most interesting is that the Bill to end the long
gun registry will not receive 3rd reading before
Parliament breaks for xmas. So keep those cards
handy for a while longer. A question I've pondered
for a long time - why wouldn't a RESPONSIBLE gun
owner not voluntarily submit his information to the
registry? I did, no harm to me, and I hardly feel that
I've been criminalized. Comments on all this?

[sddickson]

When a government fears about it's people owning guns...It's time for the people to start worrying about thier government. Germany, rise of Hitler ..first gun registery..

[silverback]

In Ontario (Toronto?) the police force has been going to the homes of registered gun owners who have let their registrations lapse. What do you suppose they are doing then?

Confiscation.

The worst part of that law was the ability it gave the RCMP/Police to enter your home or farm without notice or search warrant if they thought you might have an unregistered long gun. Too much power is not a good thing.

I don't trust any government to keep my information secure, let alone let someone have a list of any firearms I might own. (They were given away years ago anyway)

[rockpile]

Dickie, there are over 30 countries in the world
from Australia to Israel who have gun registry
legislation (includes Switzerland as well) on their
books in various forms so don't peddle this Hitler
crap - that's totally AFA crap. And as far as the Govt
knowing I possess - it might just give them reason
to stay clear of my front door. And Silver, every time
I hear these spook stories it turns out there was
probable good reason to go knocking on the doors,
like buddy beating up on the wife. So I ask you -
prove to me you are a responsible firearms owner?
BTW, I also have a registered restrictive weapon.

[blackpowder]

Funny thing, I agree with everyone on this one. Mine are all registered because I can't tcb if I'm in jail.
I believe the pendulum swung far enough driven by urban pops. Firearms are just tools,- even the ones that give me the warm fuzzys-.
The often overlooked issue is the fact property rights are so easily infringed. And Orders in Council so easily used for any purpose that doesn't make the Oppositions radar. And Eastern urban centers always get their way.
I've always supported stiffer licensing of the owner. I would gladly take any applicable training if I could purchase certain prohibs as a collector. The lefts aim was to make private firearm ownership a non-starter in 2 generations.
But no, guns are never politically correct. Even when " deep down in places we don't talk about at partys" (Nicholson)- "we want them on that wall, we need them on that wall"

[rockpile]

Blackpowder, I totally agree with your comments.
Sorrily disappointed that no one picked up on my main
dissertation about adding deadwood to the House of
Commons. Such is the state of political awareness
these days.

[blackpowder]

Sorry, a further point. the long gun registry is expensive and inaccurate.
A federal agency to track every $10 pipe screwed to wood Enfield? Geez, they can't make money handling the mail! Every transgression makes me a criminal, guilty until proven innocent.
I must say though Mirimachi is very pleasant do deal with lately! Funny how that works.

[blackpowder]

I'm sorry I don't know enough about the MP story to make an intelligent comment.
I've always felt that we need (and lack)balanced regional representation as well as population representation.
If not Senate alteration then??
And yeah, the gun bill could have just been a sacrificial lamb again.

[freewheat]

I am not sure how exactly to solve the mp additions situation. If you lessen the number, you end up with maybe 1 mp per 150 000 residents, and then sask all of a sudden has no voice with only 7 or 8 mps for example. Increasing the number means at least it is proportional to where population is growing. What would you do on this rockpile? I am curious...

It is not a simplistic issue I don't think. Though I feel we need more mps about as much as we need a registry on rifles and shotguns, or as much as we need the cwb, (which of course are not at all to both!), I am not sure what would be the most fair way to redistribute seats, withou leaving certain areas with less voice than ever before..

[sumdumguy]

How do you think Pana Merchant will vote?

[FarmForProfit]

What the **** does this have to do with
marketing?
It is a change from the CWB bullshit but
really?

[riders2010]

I agree with your comments rockpile. The mp thing, why do we need more mps when the ones we have, have no real say in what gets done anyway. How many times do we see mps vote opposite the party? Not on anything substancial and the times it is done on minor issues, I think it is more for show than anything else just to say see your mp does have a brain. Complete waste of money, unless the individuals have free vote to vote their conscience as it represents their constituents. This is not just about mps there also is the staff members, office buildings, this is a major cost for nothing as far as I see it. Just restructure the existing numbers, take away seats with lower population if anything, maybe add an assistant.

The gun registry did not bother me one bit. And in fact many forces want to keep the info, so why would they if it has no purpose? Talking to a few members, they say that in court, when one of those guns is used, the ownership thing is a very valueable tool in figuring out many of those crimes. But I do not think it deters many so maybe the wrong argument was fought. Wasn't a big deal to have it and it isn't a big deal to scrap it either. You people didn't really base your vote on something that trivial did you? Wow really, considering everything else going on!

[blackpowder]

Sorreeee Sarg!
Honestly, don't take yourself so seriously.

[blackpowder]

last post exclusively for Farmfor Profit.

[silverback]

The immigrant kid who killed those poor girls in montreal passed the FAC course. If the registry was active at that time there would have been nothing to stop him from buying the same weapon he used there.

Anybody who has ever wanted to buy a gun has had to either pass a firearms course or a police check or both.

Tell us what good it does to keep a central registry of how many shotguns or 22's you own?

If you truly have a restricted weapon, and it and you are registered with the government, then you had to go through all those checks, no? How would it matter any differently if you had one or two? 3? Does it slow down criminals if the government knows you have a handgun?