Angry Canadian gun owners hope to pressure the federal government into renewing support for a private member’s bill to abolish the long-gun registry by withholding donations to the Conservative party.
“I just returned the latest (Conservative Party of Canada) CPC donation envelope, without any $$$, and with the following written across the form in black Sharpie,” said a message to CanadianGunNutz.com from someone using the moniker Plinker, who sent back a donation form with the message: “No donation until Bill C-301 is passed. Scrap gun registry.”
Another, calling himself Soulchaser, said he sent an unsigned cheque for $1,000 and a note: “Support C-301 and this will be yours.”
While the effectiveness of the boycott remains to be seen, such a revolt by bedrock Conservative supporters is bound to cause some waves in the once populist party, observers say.
Saskatchewan Conservative MP Garry Breitkreuz’s private member’s bill would scrap the much-maligned long-gun registry but the Tories have backed away from it since supporting it initially.
Tony Bernardo, a spokesperson for the Canadian Shooting Sports Association, said gun enthusiasts are “mystified” that the Conservative government would back off on its long-promised commitment to scrap the long-gun registry.
Police have their say
• The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police warned that scrapping the long-gun registry would allow the transport of fully automatic and semi-automatic assault weapons to civilian shooting ranges, and would relax current restrictions on handguns, semi-automatic assault and tactical weapons.
