November 29, 1996 Minister's gun ploy is simply a crock! CREDIT: By LINDA SLOBODIAN Edmonton Sun Enough of Rock's crock! Enough of our smooooth little dictator on Parliament Hill talking down to, and ignoring, the wishes of too many Canadians on too many issues. Repeatedly, the federal justice minister's proven he doesn't understand the public's frustration with the justice system. Or perhaps he simply chooses not to understand because the public's vision just doesn't line up with his. Canadians from all provinces and territories call for a crackdown on criminals. Allan Rock decides to be kinder and gentler on them, says punishing the misguided souls with jail is too harsh. He portrays victims as vindictive whiners. Meanwhile, an alliance of provinces and territories opposes Rock's national gun registry. Rock first mocks them. Then, forcing his will, vows to administer the registry anyway. And then he accuses the alliance of being irresponsible! "These provinces have decided to abandon their responsibility," Rock preached after tabling fee schedules and regulations for the gun registry Wednesday. Their responsibility? To what? To roll over and accept something the people who put them in office don't want? To buckle to his distorted view of democracy? What about his responsibility to listen to what Canadians - all Canadians, not just those who agree with him - say? And do his new rules, that he calls "tough and sensible," make sense? Spouses or former spouses can have a say in whether an ex can get a gun licence? So don't they ever get vindictive? Shouldn't that be left to psychiatric and criminal records? And traditional hunters - only if they're aboriginal, mind you - won't have to pay licensing fees. Where's the fairness in that? Proposed new fees for licences, registration and training programs smack more of a federal cash grab than a method of fighting crime. Alberta's leading a Supreme Court constitutional challenge against the registry. It's not alone in its opposition. Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and two territories don't want it. That's a big chunk of this country, wouldn't you say? Yet over and over again, with nothing concrete to back it up, Rock says the "vast majority" of Canadians support him. Something doesn't add up here. But then sweeping statements and fuzzy figures never seem to matter that much to Rock. "We're going to step in, we're going to make sure the law is administered," threatens Rock. No, Rock doesn't see his threat to enforce his registry where it's not wanted as an infringement on provincial jurisdiction. "We have a perfect right to do that," he says. Isn't there something frightening about a politician in his position thumbing his nose at the Supreme Court, assuming his will is so correct, so important that it isn't necessary to run it by the highest court in the land? Mercifully, Premier Ralph Klein is sticking to his guns and promises to challenge registration and enforcement through the courts on the grounds that it's unconstitutional. And I imagine he's doing it because enough Albertans have told him that's what they want him to do. This goes beyond whether or not one wants to go easier or get tougher on criminals. Or whether or not one is for or against gun registration. Rock has a habit of shoving his personal agenda down the throats of Canadians. Is that really the kind of representation we want? And how does Rock plan to enforce his gun registry? Well, he says he'll send in the Mounties to do it. But the Mounties, with their strained resources, can hardly keep up with - yes, this is me saying it - keeping the real criminals in line, without having to chase down Joe Schmuck who goes hunting. But if the Mounties don't get their law-abiding gun-toters, what comes next, Mr. Dictator? The tanks? Original source: http://www.canoe.ca/Columnists/nov29_slobodian.html Reprint permission granted Skeeter Abell-Smith by Editor-In-Chief Paul Stanway, via John Sinclair Chief Librarian Edmonton Sun at edmonton.sun@ccinet.ab.ca