http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politic.../484693-cp.html


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WINNIPEG (CP) - The roots of Canada's gun problems are in the United States, and an NDP government would lobby the Americans for better gun control south of the border to improve things in this country, Jack Layton said Thursday.

"What we are focusing on is the increasing evidence that the biggest problem is illegal guns coming in from the U.S.," Layton told reporters. "We're proposing going across the border to the U.S. and actively engaging in lobbying to have gun-control laws in the U.S. strengthened."

The NDP leader was speaking outside a medical clinic and had planned to highlight his party's policies on health care.

But with Winnipeg the last stop before the New Democrat campaign swings into Northern Ontario, journalists couldn't help but ask about gun control, a hot-button topic in the West.

Until Thursday, the NDP had been relatively silent on the issue.

Layton said his party does not support the scrapping of the billion-dollar federal gun registry, implemented under the Liberal government.


But he stressed that it needs to be fixed after being "botched terribly by the Liberals."

A senior party official said changes would include an overhaul of the registration system to make it more simple. There would also be cuts to the bureaucracy, the official said.

The program has been a bone of contention between the two front-running parties. The Liberals say they would keep the registry but cut costs, while the Conservatives say they would get rid of it and use the money saved to hire more police officers.

Lobbying the U.S. would not be the only step the NDP would take to stem the flow of illegal firearms.

Layton said his party would provide more support for port police and other border security programs. He also wants tougher penalties for those who import guns illegally.

"We want a dramatic stepping up of efforts to stop illegal guns from coming over the border," Layton said.

The NDP leader spent much of the day answering questions about the left-leaning Liberal platform and whether he thought it could eat into his party's support.

He shrugged off most of the queries, saying the Liberals have been promising things like a national child care program for years and have yet to follow through.

"In this case I think the record of promising the same thing over and over again, and not delivering, is going to cause Canadians to say: 'You know something, I don't think we should fall for the same antic we've seen before.' "

Layton also reaffirmed his party's commitment to amend the Canada Health Act to prohibit any new private funding of health care, including diagnostic procedures such as MRIs - something he says the other two parties refuse to do.

I'd like to see what this "evidence" is and who provided it. Seems to me this an attempt to lay the blame on someone else for the billion dollar gun registry's utter failure to prevent one crime and probably contributing to more crime. Criminals don't register their guns, despite what the liberal idiots will tell you.

Just what we need - more foreign input (the UN being at the forefront) to further restrict US ownership of firearms. SCHEEECH - we've got enough of the bleeding liberals in NY, Ma, NJ and Ca to fend off, let alone from north of the border.

Every time I've been accrost the border, My RV has been thoroughly searched for fire arms.

We could close the border, but that would only hurt the decent law abiding people. Maybe we could close it just for criminals, (And politicians)

Lee L.

The Canadians are illegally bringing guns into Canada from the U.S.? Or are the Americans forcing these firearms on unsuspecting Canadians? I'm getting confused on cause and effect here, folks.

DAn

Sounds like more anti-gun B.S. from people who can't see the forest for the trees. What, your multi-billion-dollar nonsense isn't working? Just find someone else to blame and trump up a bunch of unsubstatiated "statistics."

It's really sad when you consider that the people propogating things like this are only doing it to strengthen their own positions, and care nothing for those who suffer for it. And there are plenty of them on this side of the border... :(

They laid the same blame on us when they raised the taxes on tobacco so high that an immediate black market sprang up, and folks along the border would buy $100 worth of tobacco at the indian reservations (tax free), then go across the border and sell them at a 2000% mark-up, which was still less costly than buying the government taxed Canadian brands. Okay, so we're the nation of criminals because the Canadian governments proposed serfs and subjects rebeled against them and did what they thought was their right to do as a free people? Did the untaxed tobacco turn school kids into fiends and criminals? Did once peaceful neighborhoods suddenly turn into gang invested gettos where the Winston Kings muscle into the Camel boys turf with drive by smoking, viscously hurling cigars at innocent bystanders who if hit, where addicted for life? Think of all those abandoned tobacco babies filling the hospitals with no way to pay for their health care!! Stop the madness!!!!!
No, the government realized it wasn't going to make money had over fist and had to find another way to give themselves raises and fund their pork projects!

Folks

The good news is that the, ah, gentleman making this proposal doesn't have a snowball's chance in Miami of forming a government.

Yes, there is a big problem with illegal guns coming into Canada from the US. The problem, of course, is not the guns but the PEOPLE who bring them in and the PEOPLE who buy them. Unfortunately, people are darn near impossible to control if they make their mind up to do something so it is easier to blame THINGS instead.

This will be an interesting election. I hope that the Conservatives will form the next government in light of the flagrant corruption, mismanagment and broken promises by the current government but then I am rarely surprised at how politically apathetic Canadians are as a nation. I wouldn't be surprised to see another Liberal majority government as voters get cold feet about change.

If the Conservatives form the next government, the relationship between Canada and the US should improve considerably.

As for the US election, I really, REALLY hope Kerry doesn't find his way into the Oval Office, even if President Bush was mistaken about Iraq. Personally, I think it was the right thing to do (depose Saddam) for the wrong reasons (WMD).

True; we can't blame Mexico for not stopping illegal immigration, either, nor for a lot of illegal sustances that cross our southern border.

Ah, yes, Mr. Layton. He is in favour of gun control because he's always shooting himself in the foot, when he takes it out of his mouth. Our socialist party, the New Democrats (NDP), elected this rabid far-left winger after they failed to gain power with two middle-left women leaders. He's plumb crazy and everyone knows it. The NDP may siphon off some of the left wing vote from the Liberals, but it will be in spite of Jack Layton, not because of him.

Bye
Jack

Similar to what SFT said, the only reason there is a demand for unregistered firearms in Canada is because the government there CREATED a demand by ordering registration. Look back at the history of gun registration, is there one instance where it didn't BECOME confiscation? Nazi Germany, Thailand, England, now Canada?

I have told my kids to start investing in "unregistered" guns, firearms that aren't "on paper", because after the U.S. confiscates all the registered ones (which is the EXACT purpose of registration!) the only ones left will be the ones they don't know you have!

I have bought several myself, over the years. I particularly like the older Mausers, when you can find them. Not that I still have any, of course...... ;)

PJ

Last year before I retired I spent a year doing the long haul trucking thing from Seattle to Alaska. The good part of this is that Canada is a beautiful country with a lot of really great folks whom live there. The bad part was having to listen to 2500 miles of canadian radio.

Now don't get me wrong there are some great radio stations and great folks up there, but, there were also some folks on the radio who were RABID on gun control, our involvement in the middle east, our "cowboy" attitude towards guns and it appeared just the fact that we were Americans. Now as far as I could tell the further east I got the more radio stations like that I heard.

I was in Canada when thier gun registration act went into effect. I met a lot of law abiding folks who became felons overnight because even though they tried to register their guns they were unable to. It looks like it's going to be one of those costly uninforcable laws made by folks whom adgenda is total gun control.

Many of the fine folks I talked to voiced an opinion that the money spent could have better uses.

A lot of the folks I talked to in the Northern part of Canada who tried to register their guns couldn't because of the multimillion dollar system not working. I'm not sure if it is now or not.

I've been retired now for over a year and don't get the chance to talk to folks up there, but, I sure wish them luck in getting their problems all straightened out.

God bless them all

faucettb

You are somewhat correct in that the attitudes towards Americans and firearms in general do change from West to East. If you were driving through British Columbia, you were driving through what may be one of the most anti-gun-pro-anything -"green" (including marijuana!) areas in the country.

Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are where you will likely feel the most "at home" but the Atlantic Provinces also are largely rural and more in favour of a common sense approach to firearms use. You are welcome to come for a visit and see for yourself!

The whole gun registry is a huge waste of money designed to win votes from city dwellers who watch too much American police shows and don't understand the reality of the situation in Canada or the US. The catalyst for this all was an incident in which a deeply disturbed individual who wasn't accepted into engineering at the university of his choice took a rifle (mini-14 if memory serves) and shot up a bunch of the female students in the engineering department because he felt they robbed him of his seat. Rather than addressing this as a mental health issue or as an education issue or a policing issue the government chose to create a firearms registry that was supposed to be self supporting. It isn't.

On the bright side, the leadership candidate who has indicated he would scrap the whole registry as the waste it is did quite well in the leadship debate yesterday. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that they will win a majority government if they win at all. SO ALL YOU FELLOW CANADIANS, GET OUT AND VOTE! BETTER YET, CONVINCE OTHERS TO VOTE!

faucettb

You are somewhat correct in that the attitudes towards Americans and firearms in general do change from West to East. If you were driving through British Columbia, you were driving through what may be one of the most anti-gun-pro-anything -"green" (including marijuana!) areas in the country.

Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are where you will likely feel the most "at home" but the Atlantic Provinces also are largely rural and more in favour of a common sense approach to firearms use. You are welcome to come for a visit and see for yourself!

The whole gun registry is a huge waste of money designed to win votes from city dwellers who watch too much American police shows and don't understand the reality of the situation in Canada or the US. The catalyst for this all was an incident in which a deeply disturbed individual who wasn't accepted into engineering at the university of his choice took a rifle (mini-14 if memory serves) and shot up a bunch of the female students in the engineering department because he felt they robbed him of his seat. Rather than addressing this as a mental health issue or as an education issue or a policing issue the government chose to create a firearms registry that was supposed to be self supporting. It isn't.

On the bright side, the leadership candidate who has indicated he would scrap the whole registry as the waste it is did quite well in the leadship debate yesterday. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that they will win a majority government if they win at all. SO ALL YOU FELLOW CANADIANS, GET OUT AND VOTE! BETTER YET, CONVINCE OTHERS TO VOTE!

Have you seen Marshall's thread on "Interesting Historical Tidbits"?

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: Canadians :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
Isn't their national language French? That should tell you what to expect

English and French, and if you think that everyone in the U.S. speaks one langague, you haven't spent any time in south Texas.

You can't blame all the Canadians for their government, just the ones who put them in office.

Since my wife and I have become full time RVer's we have met quite a lot of verry nice Canadians, and they don't appreciate the government they have in office either. I'm sorry to say, but I won't go back up there again, after the rude treatment received at the border. It seems that a Life Member NRA sticker is an excuse to take your Motorhome apart. after two hours and them not finding anything I was allowed to proceed. If I wasn't on my way to my sons Mother in law to let my grandson visit his other grandmother, I would have turned back at the border. I guess their Liberals are the same as ours.

Lee L.

Liberals??
Not at all liberal with common sense or any other virtue!
Canada is primarily English, but I do have some French friends that think our government and their gun control crap sucks!
Seems to me that one can not generalize by nationality or race with realistic ideas about gun control or any other subject, I've got relatives in Yakima and San Diego, they're as different as night and day when they get on the subject of gun control.
My family up here would vote for George Bush if they could, the ones in San Diego think Canadas present Prime Minister is a hero!
Gee Whizz, if Western Canada had enough population to matter or select a majority government we sure would NOT have firearms registration or such disgraceful treatment of our good southern Neighbors at our borders.
BTW just got back home from Washinton and Idaho via Coeur d'Alene, Black Sheep Sports has A Marlin 336C in 35 Rem for $369.00
Regards,
Bryan

Sounds like the Komrads to the north have a anti-US,
anti-gun agenda. It sure wasn't like that during WW2. Worry about your own, and if ya don't like our policies, don't come here.
BTW Do Not Have A NRA sticker on your vehicle!!!!!!!
After going through the border crossing on the way to Thunder bay for a weekend, and had our luggage searched, I am beginning to wonder if the perverts working for the Kanadian Komrads Kustoms have underwear fetishes....they sure took extreme pleasure in checking the undies my wife packed. After my wifes extreme displeasure/embarrasment , we made a U turn and went back to MN. I honked the horn and flipped them off after we got back to the US side. Never will we travel to Canada again!
I honestly think that USSR/Canada have more in common than ever. Climate/latitude/politics/and becoming more dependant on the US dollar.
I'd give the Canadian GOV'T a big "BRONX CHEER".
I can't begrudge all of them, MY fav aunt is from Toronto.

Bullethead:

As I said in my previous post, I would have turned around except for my Grandson. One of the Customs
inspectors made the comment to the other while going through everything that he hated the big RV's, because there was so many places things could be hidden. Wife spent almost an hour putting things back to rights that night. I did get a little even tho. I had left the engine running for a while, and when he got alongside the exhaust, I revved the engine up and gave him a nice diesel soot bath. The next time I go north , it won't be to Canada. You can take the ferry from Washington to Alaska, with the RV on it. Nice scenic trip as well. When we returned we were asked what we were bringing back with us. All I said was us the RV, and most of our money.

Lee L.