September 26, 1995 For Immediate Release
"LIBERAL-TORY, SAME OLD STORY" - LIBERALS STACK SENATE TO TRY AND PASS BILL C-68
"Chretien insults Canadian's intelligence by appointing Senators to get his own way," says Breitkreuz.
Ottawa - Back in June, Garry Breitkreuz, MP for Yorkton-Melville, reported more than two dozen undemocratic methods used by the Liberal Government to force Bill C-68 through the House of Commons. Now Chretien and Rock are so worried about common sense winning the debate in the Senate they took the ultimate undemocratic step last Friday by appointing four new Liberal Senators. The Senate is now comprised of 51 Progressive Conservatives, 50 Liberals and 3 Independents. Even though the Progressive Conservatives still hold a slim majority the Liberal government believes the three independent Senators combined with cross-over voting between parties that there are more anti-gun Senators than those that oppose Bill C-68.
Breitkreuz calling the Liberals copy-cats said, "The Conservatives stacked the Senate to ram the much-hated GST legislation into law and now the Liberals use the same tactic to force the much-despised gun control laws down our throats. While passage of Bill C-68 will be good for the Reform Party in the next election, I would much rather see the bill radically amended or killed outright by the Senate," commented Breitkreuz.
He continued, "The power of public opinion is now the only thing we have going for us." National polls supporting gun registration dropped from 90% in October of 1994 to 60% in July of 1995. Public support for the gun control measures in Bill C-68 is now concentrated in the large urban centres of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Ninety-one percent of Saskatchewan RCMP officers are opposed to the registration scheme. Eighty-five percent of Alberta RCMP officers are also opposed. The Chiefs of Police are now split on the issue with all 19 of the Chiefs of Police in Saskatchewan opposed to the proposed national firearm registry. The Ontario Solicitor General says police in his province don't support the legislation and neither does he. Ontario now joins the Justice Ministers in Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, and the two Territories who are opposed to the bogus bill. Even the Health Minister of British Columbia is opposed to the flawed firearms registration scheme describing it as "unworkable".
Breitkreuz predicted, "By the time the Senate finishes their public hearings and debate of Bill C-68 public support will drop below 50 percent nationally. Responsible firearm owners and their families should not despair. If the Senate doesn't change the bill, a Reform government will kill it outright after the next election," promised Breitkreuz.
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