OTTAWA  –  “Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff has once again turned his back on rural Canadians by clearly stating he still supports the wasteful and ineffective long-gun registry,” states a disappointed Leon Benoit, Member of Parliament for Vegreville-Wainwright.

Benoit went on to explain that Ignatieff also said he will be whipping his Liberal MPs to do the same, including the eight Liberal MPs who voted for Conservative MP, Candice Hoeppner’s Private Members Bill C-391 at second reading (Scott Andrews, Larry Bagnell, Jean-Claude D’Amours, Wayne Easter, Keith Martin, Anthony Rota, Todd Russell, and Scott Simms).

“Michael Ignatieff’s definition of ‘tough on crime’ is to crack down on farmers and duck hunters,” says Benoit.

Ignatieff’s Liberals along with their coalition partners in the Bloc Québécois and NDP have also stacked the Public Safety committee, currently hearing testimony on C-391, with pro-long gun registry MPs who will attempt to play procedural and political games at committee.

In fact, in a shocking display of anti-democratic behaviour, Liberals at the Public Safety Committee desperately tried to use their Opposition majority, joined by the Bloc and NDP, to force a pro-long gun registry list of witnesses on C-391, with few witnesses representing the other side of the issue.

“The Liberals tried to move a motion to have 33 witnesses appear, 28 of whom are in favour of Ignatieff’s position to keep the long-gun registry,” states Benoit. “This is a clear affront to democracy.  Why are the Liberals and their Coalition partners so determined to hijack all debate on this issue?  Is it because they are scared of their own constituents?”

One of the pro-long gun registry Liberal MPs on the Public Safety committee, Mark Holland, has even arrogantly stated, “I don't think it's the business of Parliament to step in and get rid of (the long-gun registry)."  ( Durham News, Nov. 12, 2009)  The question is what will Liberal MPs like Todd Russell (Labrador) do?  He’s explicitly said, "I've been clear about my position and I will be consistent with that particular position, and I will vote subsequently to scrap the long gun registry," (The Labradorian, Dec. 29, 2009).

As the Canadian Firearms stated,  “Mr. Ignatieff would rather waste money on an expensive placebo that stigmatizes rural Canadians and trustworthy firearms owners, than take serious measures to address the criminal use of firearms.”

“Ignatieff’s long-standing position on the long-gun registry shows once again that he hasn’t listened to his own Liberal Caucus Members, let alone Canadians,” concludes Benoit.  “It shows that Michael Ignatieff isn’t in it for Canadians.  He’s just in it for himself.”