Tory affiliated gun lobbyist in contempt of Parliament?

If it really was nobody's business, I wouldn't have told the Canadian Press that I own and enjoy the exact firearm that I refuse to tell Parliamentarians about.

C'mon Tony. Can you say "contempt of Parliament"?

On the intelligence of artificial life

Just what I need.

More Tory anti gun registry posters.

Not quite simultaneous translation for the completely literal

In response to a previous post entitled Secret Tory handbook reveals what to do when the facts don't support the agenda, a regular commentator lacking appreciation for sarcasm challenged this blog on the existence of a "secret Tory Handbook".

There is no secret Tory handbook on suppressing information that Parliament could use to better do its job. Of course not.

The secret Tory handbook is on disrupting committee proceedings.

So here is the post as I should have written it:

Tedious Tory behaviour reinforces what the Harper government does when the facts don't support a narrow ideological bias

1) Suppress, lie, deceive.

2) Repeat as required.

It will be interesting to see if the secret Tory committee obstruction handbook comes out tomorrow when the Public Safety Standing Committee discusses item two above (item 1 on its agenda).

Worth reading

Kamloops This Week
May 31, 2010
Letter to the Editor

On the contrary, the NRA is heavily involved in Canada

Secret Tory handbook reveals what to do when the facts don't support the agenda

1) Suppress, lie, deceive.

2) Repeat as required.

Shelley Glover's muse

Because the opposition seems to acknowledge bullying by rolling over to get its collective tummy rubbed

Shelley Glover moves on to the next target.

Turns out he's not as soft as many MPs.

Because nobody thinks an 85 year old hunter is a threat

Until he shoots someone.

In which Canada's chief unregistered gun lobbyist makes puppy eyes when he hears Wayne Lapierre's name

Today was the last day of hearings on Bill C-391, the Harper Tories' astroturfed private member's bill to repeal the long gun registry.

There were a couple of points worth highlighting. The same lobbyist was responsible for both:

Lobbyist Tony Bernardo releasing the results of the Canadian Shooting Sports Association's biased anti-cop web poll was his first highlight. Oddly, he limited the response presented to 2018 "random legal gun owners from across Canada" (video begins at 51:05) who clicked on the link.

As of this evening, 3488 random individuals had completed the survey and only 58.59% of respondents feared cops more than criminals - still well out of step with mainstream and main street Canadians, but less crazy than the sample Bernardo reported to MPs.

Interestingly, Bernardo assured MPs that the results were "only being published in this presentation and not before."

To Bernardo, blogs must not be publishing. And we assume that he thinks that an open site with results available live is not publishing either.

We wonder if stupid is within the margin of error of an anonymous web poll that initially allowed multiple votes.

Questions from MPs were generally tolerable to Bernardo.

Questions founded on things Bernardo had told the Globe and Mail himself on the day after the Dawson College tragedy were branded as threatening!

However, an MP repeating a compliment from NRA Executive Vice President Wayne Lapierre had Tony smiling like a school girl dreaming of the conquest of Justin Bieber (video starts at 1:36:30). The NRA video referenced in the subsequent question is found here.

Question for readers: Including Tony Bernardo, how many members of the Harper government's radical anti-gun-control advisory committee appear in the NRA infomercial video?

UPDATE: All this and the Auditor General too!

Note to Jack: Jack, the smile we saw today is the smile of a cat thinking that it's about to eat a canary.

Vulnerable women and kids are that canary. You can stop that from happening.

Their lives are in your hands. They don't have access to a whip to defend themselves.

NRA video star plays Tory gun registry repeal witness today

Un député libéral a noté au passage que Murray Grismer a agi comme porte-parole pour des publicités de la NRA -la National Rifle Association- un regroupement américain qui effectue du lobbying en faveur des armes à feu.

That witness is on the Harper Tories' secretive gun lobby advisory panel too.

In which the Honourable Member for Portage-Lisgar goes bat shit crazy

Offended by a line of questioning from a Bloc Quebecois MP, Candice Hoeppner, Harper Tory MP for Portage-Lisgar and proponent of the astroturfed private member's bill to repeal registration of firearms that look like this, lost her cool.

Her bill, it turns out isn't about the long gun registry at all, its about fighting the demonization of gun owners by a "certain group of people" (video starts at 1:57:35) and protecting handgun owners silly enough to have their picture taken posing with big silver revolvers in front of their house from having to answer how may guns they own.

Of interest, it turns out that star Tory witness Gary Mauser's answer to that apparently offensive question was that he doesn't know how many guns he owns.

Being accountable for his own guns doesn't seem high on business prof Mauser's to do list, we taxpayers will have to do that for him. And each Canadian's share of that accountability is about 12¢ per year.

To help keep Gary Mauser accountable for a collection he can't or won't count, 12¢ seems like a small price to pay.

Hell, we might even agree to pay double.

BTW, it was nice to see the NDP re-enter the fray and ask very good questions. We've been highly critical of their non-presence at previous committee meetings, even meetings that NDP MPs attended. Hopefully it means that the NDP is now committed to doing everything necessary to defeat this legislation.

Fact check: More Tory gun registry (il)logic

To Conservative MP Candice Hoeppner a unanimous vote of the Yukon territorial assembly means that the Yukon's lone MP should vote for her astroturfed bill to repeal the long gun registry.

Formerly prominent Tory MP Dick Harris added his voice to the cause:

Yukoners deserve to have a member of Parliament who listens to their concerns. We call on the member for Yukon to stand with his constituents and vote to scrap the useless boondoggle Liberal gun registry.

Using that logic, Quebec Tory MPs should be bound by the decision of Quebec's National Assembly and vote against Hoeppner's fake private member's bill. As in the Yukon Assembly, the Quebec Assembly was unanimous.

So why the Tory double standard?

Myths and truths: Fact checking Canada's radical, cop hating gun lobby

Canada's radical, cop hating, NRA endorsed, PMO bashing gun lobby has yet another problem.

Mainstream Canadians are catching on to their links to the National Rifle Association.

It's not a surprise to us nor, it seems, to the NRA which is eagerly awaiting the hoped for defeat of the long gun registry by an ad hoc coalition of Conservative and NDP MPs.

But the Canadian gun lobby doesn't want Canadians to know who they are working for with.

Tony Bernardo, who has Harper government's ear on gun control issues, wrote the Toronto Star to whine about the recent coverage:

We are dismayed and disappointed at the lack of credible facts in Bob Hepburn's article. The National Rifle Association's constitution expressly forbids them to conduct operations outside of the United States. As well, the Canadian Shooting Sports Association, Canada's largest firearms owners group, has never received one cent from the NRA.

In another venue for another audience, the very same Tony Bernardo wrote:

4) The NRA Constitution prevents them from providing money. They freely give us anything else.

He noted that they do accept funding from non-Canadian sources like Safari Club International, an organization that also funds meetings on endangered species conservation in Africa.

So which Tony Bernardo is telling the truth about the NRA?

Let's look at the Canadian Shooting Sports Association's Facebook page for some hints:

• conducted a media campaign against the City of Toronto and Mayor Miller’s anti-handgun rampage, initiated a 'boycott Toronto' campaign (www.torontothebad.com) and involved the cooperation of the NRA to spread the word to their 4 million members

Boycotting Toronto, including Jack Layton's diverse and interesting riding, isn't really operating outside of the US. If it had worked, it could even be described by the NRA as promoting US alternatives. Toronto Star Tony Bernardo gets a pass here.

• CSSA/CILA are fully endorsed by the NRA and NSSF

That may be stretching the "no international operations" rule Bernardo comforts Star readers with, but if the NRA stays out of Canada, it might get a pass too.

• CILA's work has been personally endorsed by NRA Executive Vice-President Wayne LaPierre and former Presidents, Charlton Heston, Kayne Robinson and Sandy Froman.

Perhaps individual rights endorsements by senior NRA figures aren't covered by the NRA constitution.

• conducted a 'train-the-trainer' session for grass roots lobbying – facilitated by the NRA Director of the Grass Roots Division, Glen Caroline and we are now offering grass roots political action training to clubs and members

That session was held in Scarborough in the lead up to the 2006 election. So much for no international operations.

A quick look at the Canadian Shooting Sports Association's press clippings would have told Mr. Bernardo as much.

In an interview with the Globe and Mail at the time, Andrew Arulanandam, spokesman for the political arm of the NRA, the Institute for Legislative Action explained that when the ILA receives requests for help from firearms' supporters in other countries, it goes whenever it can with its message that freedom and liberty ought not to be infringe and that enforcing existing laws against crime is more effective than restrictions on gun ownership, which "only affect law-abiding citizens."

So why then would Tony Bernardo then argue that the NRA constitution "expressly forbids them to conduct operations outside of the United States"?

Perhaps its a just a smokescreen thrown up to hide the real objective in calling in the NRA. From the same Globe article:

Larry Whitmore, director of sport development for the Canadian Shooting Sports Association, based in Vaughan, Ont., said in an interview that "we've asked the Conservatives to tell us which ridings they consider the close swing ridings that a little bit of input from some of our clubs and our members would maybe have an impact."

The organization will work for the Conservatives because they have been "the most reasonable with respect to the Firearms Act," and are seeking changes to the law "that will have more impact on criminals and less impact on legitimate gun owners," Mr. Whitmore said.

It will focus its attention in Ontario. "We don't seem to have a problem out West. Conservatives win quite a few seats out there, but Ontario is the battleground, obviously," Mr. Whitmore said.

That support for the Conservative Party is also reflected on the CSSA Facebook page:

• conducted an election poster campaign which was approved by the PMO - posters sent to all dealers, retailers, clubs and businesses
• coordinated grassroots activity and CPC support in many swing ridings during the election

And that leaves two obvious questions:

• Who in PMO authorized this third party campaign?
• And whose side is NDP really on?

If you don't whip the vote Jack, you will be judged by the company that marches with you

The Harper government continues its efforts to repeal the long gun registry.

They are joined in that campaign by Canada's radical, cop hating, NRA endorsed gun lobby.

And there are other Canadians who share their zeal.

Like this Stormfront poster:

Turns out that some Stormfront posters really like Israeli assault weapons.

Stephen Harper, the radical gun lobby and Stormfront posters don't think that Canadians should have to register this firearm.

Canada's national police community is on the other side of that question.

Whose side are you really on Jack?

Why do the Harper Tories fear Western Canadians?

Think back.

Think way back.

Think all the way back to April 28, 2010.

On that day, Liberal Public Safety critic Mark Holland proposed a list of potential witnesses for the Public Safety Committee to call for its review of the astroturfed private member's bill to repeal the long gun registry.

The Tories went bat-shit crazy. One 50-yards off Parliament Hill interchangeable Alberta Tory backbench MP went so far as to say:

If Mr. Holland had got his way there would have been almost no witnesses who would speak in favour of the bill.

A quick fact check shows that not to be the case at all.

Holland's proposed list included four national firearms organizations:

• Canadian Firearms Institute (Barrie, Ontario)
  
• National Firearms Association (Edmonton, Alberta)
  
• Canadian Shooting Sports Association and Canadian Institute for Legislative Action (Vaughn - just north of Toronto, Ontario)
  
• Canadian Unlicensed Firearms Owners Association (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)
  

In a coalition of convenience with the Bloc Quebecois, Tory MPs on the committee refused to accept the Liberal Party's recommendation. As an alternative, each party was allowed to recommend up to three witnesses per MP on the committee.

It a move that can only be described a shocking and cynical, the Tory MPs supporting the repeal the long gun registry deliberately excluded all of the national firearms organizations except one, the radical NRA endorsed anti-cop gun lobby from just outside of Toronto.

Tory MPs didn't want to hear from the only national gun lobby group that's bothered to register in the national lobbyist registry nor did they want to hear from either national firearms organization based in Western Canada.

The Liberal Party wanted to hear from each national firearms organization on this important bill, even organizations based in the Canada's West.

The Harper Tories, not so much

Why are the Tories afraid of Western Canadians?

Why does Stephen Harper hate baseball?

Senator hockey guy.

Senator football guy.

But no Senator baseball guy.

Why?

An open letter to Jack Layton

Dear Jack,

The NRA is watching.

The US gun lobby is ever so hopeful that Canadian MPs will vote to repeal the long gun registry.

It's up to you Jack.

The Conservatives will all vote for their astroturfed private member's bill. They won't call it a whipped vote.

Bloc MPs will be whipped against the Bill, again, and Liberal MPs are expected to fall in line and oppose the legislation.

It's the vote of NDP MPs that is the wild card.

The NRA's Wayne Lapierre is already promising to use Canada's gun registry repeal, if the NDP gives the NRA and the Harper government the victory, to fight what they call the "United Nations' global gun ban".

Let's be clear, there is no proposed global gun ban. It's the proposed Arms Trade Treaty.

The treaty an initiative designed to put standards in place to better regulate the global trade in weapons of war and reduce the chances of armed violence around the world.

Of course the NRA opposes it. But then, the NRA is hardly a measure of the sensible centre in gun politics. They don't want controls on terrorist gun purchases in the US.

Jack, giving the government its majority on Bill C-391 will embolden the NRA in its efforts.

The NRA will use those NDP votes to fight global efforts to keep weapons out of the hands of warlords in Africa and drug traffickers and their executioners in Latin America.

I see dead people, Jack.

In Africa.

Wearing surplus NDP campaign t-shirts.

And a white ribbon.

It's your choice.

Leaders are often forced to make tough decisions, Jack.

Of course, this one should not be hard at all.

I always feel like somebody's watching me

Canada's radical gun lobby claims to have evidence that the "antis" are stacking their how crazy are we anonymous web poll.

Looking at the results of the "survey", there really is only one question.

With 63% of anonymous respondents saying that they fear police more than criminals, how could gun control supporters make the discredited, radical, NRA and Conservative Party endorsed gun lobby look crazier and more paranoid than the bar already set by whoever wrote this question:

As a legal firearms owner, who are you more afraid of? Police or Criminals?

Or this one:

Do you believe Police target firearms owners?

Bonus question: This anti-cop "survey" is sponsored by the Canadian Shooting Sports Association.

How many members of the association's 2010 board are also providing gun control advice to the Harper government?

Unlike the elder George Bush (41) who quit the NRA when the US gun lobby went Godwin by characterizing law enforcement officers as "jack booted thugs", the Harper government likes to keep its anti-cop wackos well within the tent.

For those with a professional interest in survey techniques, the "survey" is found here.

Don't do any thing we wouldn't do.

Cowboys for Social Responsibility is more afraid of criminals than cops.

Another day, another NDP absence

Thursday afternoon, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security met to consider Bill C-391, the Harper government's astroturf Private Member's Bill to repeal the long gun registry.

Just like last week, the NDP asked no questions. It's astounding that the NDP MPs cannot even be bothered to pretend to care about an issue important enough to draw witness from across Canada to a committee room on Parliament Hill to express their views and concerns.

Absent again, they missed hearing Tory MP Brent Rathgeber admit that the Harper government's four-year-long long-gun amnesty undermines the effectiveness of the registry (Video starts at 1:25:30). He could not have been more clear.

It's amazing what you miss when you don't go to the party.

Embracing the mainstream extreme

Canada's Conservative Party and National Rifle Association endorsed gun lobby has a problem.

It's a simple problem.

Canadians trust the police.

When someone like Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair explains that police use the gun registry to disarm domestic abusers:

There's also many cases Sean, that happen daily and right across this country, where the police will go to an incidence of domestic violence where there is concern that if there are firearms in the house that they might be used to commit violence and even murders. And we've had far too many such tragedies in this country. The police officers are able to determine by checking the registry, not only that the person living in that address has a license, but also what guns they possess. And we've had so many cases where they've done a quick examination or a search, and found a few guns; check the registry and discover that there are dozens more. And that enables us to go and get the search documents and to conduct a more thorough search to make sure that we remove all of the weapons from that potentially dangerous situation. And by taking those guns out of that situation it gives us an opportunity to prevent crimes and save lives, and we do this virtually every day.

They believe the Chief.

So what should did the gun lobby do?

They could set up an entirely anonymous web poll. Then they could send out an e-mail blast to encourage their friends response to their "plain language questions":

From: CILA National Office [mailto:abernardo343@rogers.com]
Sent: May-10-10 2:11 PM
To: CSSA All
Subject: CSSA Poll on Police/Firearms Owner Relations - Please distribute

Canada's police associations have spoken out loudly in their support for the long gun registry. This is contrary to the wishes of the recreational firearms community and has brought to light a potential breakdown in relations between Canada's police services and lawful firearms owners. This short survey will ask firearms owners plain language questions regarding that relationship. Please take the survey and distribute it to your contacts. http://policerelations.questionpro.com ______________________________

Canadian Institute for Legislative Action
"Defending Canada's Heritage"

P. 905-571-2150 F. 905-436-7721

But that's not the best part.

A review of the responses shows that the online Friends of the Canadian Shooting Sports association are well outside of the Canadian mainstream.

In response to the question "As a legal firearms owner, who are you more afraid of? Police or Criminals?" the gun lobby's little friends said they feared police more that criminals by a three to one margin.

Do they trust police? No, by a five to one margin.

Do they think that Canada's three national police associations are lying? Yes, by a twenty-seven to one margin.

And they are at eighteen to one "no" on whether these associations are even representing their own membership.

And there is still more.


By ten to one, the gun lobby's friends think that police target gun owners.

And more than half of them claim to know somebody who has been "unjustly charged with a firearms offence".

Extremist is such an ugly word

But mainstream just doesn't fit responses like these. (Updated responses are available here.)

And Jack, it's respondents like these who want the NDP to help the Tories pass their gun registry repeal bill.

Ordinary Canadians don't share the gun lobby's zeal for repeal.

When STFU becomes the SOP

Winnipeg Free Press
May 10, 2010

Conservative Senator Nancy Ruth wasn't the only one last week who told someone to shut up. During the public safety committee hearing Thursday regarding the bill to abolish the gun registry, Conservative MP and committee chairman Garry Breitkreuz lost his patience with Liberal MP Mark Holland, who was griping about time allotted to various witnesses.

"Why don't you just shut your microphone off and be quiet for awhile," Breitkreuz snapped.

He probably should have been a bit less abrasive, especially considering the witnesses present included victims of the 1989 Montreal massacre.

Holland wasn't bowed but the NDP took the Tory admonition to heart and asked witnesses exactly zero questions (Video begins at 1:15:47 and ends at 1:15:59).

Considering that one of the groups presenting that day represented students and graduates of École Polytechnique, how should we interpret the NDP's silence?

Perhaps the sitting MP for École Polytechnique should be asked to explain his party's silent treatment of these concerned Canadians.

Hudak pimping David Cameron

Interetsing to see that Tim Hudak's Ontario PC Party is worried about the state of democratic participation ... in the UK. Thanks to the little bird that sent this to me.

March 25, 2010

Dear Friends,

Do you know someone who is a British citizen living in Canada? Now's your chance to help increase voter participation - and bring about change in the UK. Any British citizen who was on an electoral register in the UK less than 15 years ago can register to vote in the upcoming 2010 General Election.

Our Conservative friends in Britain estimate that over 600,000 people are eligible to register to vote from Canada. Here's how you can get registered to vote before the April 1st deadline:

• Click here to complete a voter registration form
• Nominate a proxy voter in the UK to vote for you - the Conservative Party in the UK can supply someone to do this - just let them know which constituency you lived in

For more information visit dontleaveyourvoteathome.com, or email michael.rutt@conservatives.com.

Sincerely,

Ken Zeise
President,
PC Party of Ontario

Attention James Moore!

Now that isn't so hard is it?

In Stephen Harper's Canada

Acceptable

Unacceptable

It must be unpleasant to be on the losing side of that equation.

Almost makes us feel sorry for her.