Jump to Navigation

A letter to Nycole Turmel Interim Leader of the Official Opposition

Publication date: 
Wed, 2011-09-14

 

Nycole Turmel
Interim Leader of the Official Opposition

 

September 13, 2011

 

Dear Ms. Turmel,

 

First, please accept our condolences at the loss of Mr. Jack Layton. It is a personal and a political loss and we must all work together to ensure that our shared vision of a more just and generous Canada is realized.

I am writing to urge the NDP to take an official party position in favour of the long gun registry. Together, we have been working with the NDP as part of an ongoing campaign to end gun violence. The long gun registry is a key tool in this effort.

Let’s review some key facts in support of the long-gun registry.

  • Rifles and shotguns in the wrong hands are as deadly as handguns, we need controls on all guns.
  • Registering all firearms holds gun owners accountable for their firearms and reduces the chances that their guns will be diverted to unlicensed owners, helping to choke off the illegal supply.
  • Registration is a one-time procedure, and it's free. The system is in place, and 6.9 million rifles and shotguns are already registered. Eliminating the long-gun registry will not refund the financial investment to set it up, nor will it save billions of dollars in the future.
  • The gun registry is an essential tool used 16,000 times a day by police, including when intervening in domestic disputes. It assists police investigations and in removing ALL guns from dangerous people, enforcing prohibition orders, and taking preventative action.
  • Gun control works. Health and safety experts have shown that stronger gun laws have reduced gun-related death rates.
  • Licensing gun owners and registering firearms is the norm internationally. Scrapping the long-gun registry will undermine our ability to meet our international commitments to combat gun trafficking.

We urge you to ensure that the full NDP caucus is present and voting in opposition to the Conservative legislation to scrap the gun registry which we are expecting this session.

 

In Solidarity Always,

Linda Silas