Gun control advocates urge feds to keep registry

Last Updated: Friday, February 26, 2010 | 8:09 PM ET Comments63Recommend8

CBC News


Several Quebec politicians and gun control advocates are calling on federal MPs to vote to keep Canada's long-gun registry.
The Conservative private member's bill to abolish the registry passed second reading in the House of Commons last year, with several NDP and Liberal MPs voting with the governing Conservatives to abolish the registry
Bill C-301 will have its third reading in the House of Commons when Parliament returns from prorogation next week.
Heidi Rathjen, a survivor of Montreal's 1989 École Polytechnique massacre, said at Friday's news conference in Montreal that the leaders of the Liberal party and NDP need to unite against the move.
Rathjen, who has become an advocate of the registry since the massacre, said it does work.
She pointed to statistics showing the registry has helped reduce domestic violence deaths by 70 per cent since it was established as a result of the massacre.
"To Mr. Layton and Mr. Ignatieff, who both say they support gun control, I say words are not enough, it's actions that count." Rathjen said at the news conference.
"Their inaction in fact allowed this bill to pass second reading. And for it not to pass third reading they have to lay down the law for their parties."
Bloc Quebecois MP Thierry St-Cyr of the Jeanne-Le Ber riding is in favour of keeping the registry.
He said he has gathered 1,500 signatures from Quebecers who want to save the gun registry.
St-Cyr said he will present the petition to the House of Commons on March 8.
With files from The Canadian Press


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