Plan to end gun registry backfiring?

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OTTAWA -- The federal Conservatives launched a publicity campaign this week trolling for enough votes to push through legislation that would scrap the federal long-gun registry.

But at least one Manitoba MP says the plan might be backfiring and actually welcomed the campaign as free advertising for himself.

The bill, introduced by Manitoba Conservative MP Candice Hoeppner, comes up for its first vote in the House of Commons Nov. 4. It would end the requirement for Canadians to register unrestricted guns. Canadians would still have to get a licence to own a gun but wouldn't have to register every gun they buy.

Ending the gun registry has been a long-standing promise from the Conservatives. But to give the bill a better chance, Hoeppner was called on to introduce the legislation so it is a private member's bill rather than a government bill. Private member's bills traditionally are free votes, so MPs can vote how they want and not just follow their leader.

In this minority Parliament where all 143 Conservatives are expected to vote for the bill, Hoeppner needs at least a dozen opposition MPs to back it to ensure it gets through.

To get those votes, the Conservatives introduced radio ads giving out the names and office phone numbers for MPs they think they can sway in favour of the bill. The ads urge voters to flood the MPs with calls telling them to back the bill.

Elmwood-Transcona NDP MP Jim Maloway is among them and said as of midday Friday his office had received 71 calls about it. However, he said only 11 callers were from his riding.

"Most of them were actually from Hoeppner's (Portage-Lisgar) riding," he said.

But Maloway said he is quite happy to get the local advertising, and the help generating a log of his constituents and the issues they care about.

"I think it's terrific," he said. "I don't even have to claim it as a campaign expense."

Maloway also said he has heard some of his colleagues who might have supported the bill, changing their minds because they are angry about being targeted by the Conservative ads. In addition to the radio ads, the Conservatives have mailed government-funded flyers into many opposition ridings with information about the gun registry bill.

"She's lost a couple of people because of the misstep of the (ads)," said Maloway.

Maloway will not say how he plans to vote.

Churchill NDP MP Niki Ashton said she's also been targeted by the Conservative ad campaign and isn't impressed.

"I'm really tired of the political games the Conservatives are playing," she said.

But Ashton plans to vote for the bill.

"A lot of people in northern Manitoba feel the gun registry does not work for us."

The other three Manitoba opposition MPs -- NDP members Pat Martin, and Judy Wasylycia-Leis, and Liberal Anita Neville, have said will vote against it.

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 31, 2009 A8