So long, long gun. Registry, that is.
MP’s will be voting today on a private member’s bill to scrap the long gun registry. And, as the Toronto Star even points outt, it’s not exactly a long shot to say it’ll pass. Why? Simply put, it isn’t a very popular program. Jean Chretien instituted it during one of his three majorities–majorities that, argues the National Post’s Steve Janke, he only won because there was no real opposition. And now, 500 times over budget later, the maneuvering is well underway to position the bill to lop it off to pass second reading. When even the Toronto Star recognises that it can only benefit the conservatives, particularly given they promised during the 2006 election to kill it, you know it can’t be good for the liberal party. Not that they’ve had a whole lot of good news as it is, but who’s counting? And, as the National Post points out, with the requirement that members vote along party lines being waved on account of this is a private member’s bill, some members representing borderline liberal ridings may vote in favour of it simply to save their jobs. Best case, the registry gets killed, 7000000 records get destroied, and the $2000000000 price tag doesn’t go up–conservatives win. Worst case, the bill fails, an election shows up (hey, they still aren’t playing as nice as they should be), the liberals and NDP, and perhaps the blocke, end up being framed as the reason the conservatives couldn’t follow through on their 2006 campaign promise, and some of those borderline/fringe ridings might just end up switching loyalties–conservatives win. Either way, not looking too bad for Stephen Harper’s conservatives. And, if current poling trends are any indication, that suits a growing number of Canadians just fine.
