Cabinet order could end gun registry: Liberals, NDP angry

Cabinet order could end gun registry: Liberals, NDP angry
Date: Feb 9, 2006 7:43 AM
NOTE: Versions of this Canadian Press article also appeared in: Calgary
Sun, Toronto Sun, Winnipeg Sun, Halifax Chronicle-Herald,
Kitchener-Waterloo Record, New Brunswick Telegraph Journal, Fredricton
Daily Gleaner, Moncton Times and Transcript, and Windsor Star

PUBLICATION: Edmonton Journal
DATE: 2006.02.09
EDITION: Final
SECTION: News
PAGE: A6
BYLINE: Jim Brown
SOURCE: The Canadian Press
DATELINE: OTTAWA
ILLUSTRATION: Photo: Journal Stock / (Joe) Comartin
WORD COUNT: 478

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Cabinet order could end gun registry: Liberals, NDP angry with comments
by Toews

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OTTAWA - A suggestion by Justice Minister Vic Toews that the minority
Conservative government could make an end run around the House of
Commons and use a cabinet order to dismantle the federal long-gun
registry is drawing fire from opposition MPs.

"I would be surprised if that would be something they would seek to do
by way of executive fiat," former Liberal justice minister Irwin Cotler
said Wednesday. "In my view this would be something you would need to
have the House speak to."

Joe Comartin, the NDP justice critic, contended the Toews approach would
short-circuit the democratic process.

"If a decision is going to be made to terminate that program, that
decision should be made by the entire House," said Comartin.

"To do it by a decision within the cabinet of one political party is not
the way to go."

The gun registry isn't the only battle shaping up for Toews and Prime
Minister Stephen Harper on the law-and-order front. They have promised a
get-tough approach that includes more spending on police services and
mandatory minimum sentences for gun crimes and other violent offences.

Toews has also said that one of his earliest initiatives will be
legislation to raise the age of sexual consent to 16 from 14 -- an old
promise aimed at cracking down on sexual predators, but one that critics
say may have less impact than he expects.

The Conservatives have long argued for abolition of the policy, crafted
under Jean Chretien, requiring all owners of rifles and shotguns to
register their weapons. The program was supposed to cost a modest $2
million, but mismanagement and cost overruns pushed the eventual price
tag to 1,000 times that amount.

"We've been very clear in terms of our desire to abolish (the
registry)," Toews said in an interview this week with the Winnipeg Sun.

"How we can actually accomplish that remains to be seen, but we'd like
to move on that as quickly as possible."

He went on to suggest that, rather than bringing a bill to the House,
the government may resort to a cabinet order -- in effect undercutting
the complex regulations that were put in place to give official force to
the gun control legislation passed under Chretien.

Comartin maintained the only reason Toews is toying with the idea is
that he fears the Tories couldn't round up enough votes to repeal the
program through legislation.

The NDP critic admitted, however, that his party is "split down the
middle" on the issue, with many western MPs under pressure from their
constituents to get rid of the unpopular gun registry.

A number of Liberals also harbour misgivings about the program, leaving
the Bloc Quebecois, which has traditionally supported the registry, as
the only party solidly opposed to repeal.

Cotler said there's an outside chance Toews could win a vote to abolish
the registry.

"If he got his own party entirely on board, and if the NDP were split,
and if we had significant numbers among our own people who would go
along with it -- then he might be able to do it."

On his other key initiatives, Toews has expressed confidence he can
mobilize a majority in favour of the sexual consent bill and mandatory
minimum sentences.

Cotler isn't convinced it's possible for either measure. But Comartin
signalled that the NDP is open to a deal on both.