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ANNE ON THE ATTACK

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There's a part of the Liberal mantra that goes, when in doubt invoke the spectre of the National Rifle Association - or some other American institution that's poised to impose its unsavoury doctrines on caring and sharing Canadians. And if they can be linked to Stephen Harper and his federal Conservatives, then all the better.

That was clearly the intent of an attack by Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan this week, claiming that NRA operatives were helping Conservative candidates. McLellan used the anniversary of the Ecole Polytechnique murders as the backdrop. This terrible incident 16 years ago perpetrated by a deranged gunman has been used by the anti-gun lobby to justify their actions ever since, including the Liberals' $2-billion long-gun registry boondoggle.

"The NRA and their U.S.-style gun lobby efforts are not welcome here," McLellan blasted.

It's against the law for foreigners to actively intervene in a Canadian election. Curiously, the Liberals ignored this when notorious American lefty Michael Moore appeared to get involved in the last vote, saying in Toronto that Canadians only had days after the release of his Fahrenheit 9/11 movie "to make sure that Mr. Harper does not become your next prime minister."

As for this election, the Martin Liberals have been trying to come from behind ever since the Conservative non-confidence vote passed. At the beginning of the week they were stung again by Harper's "Stand Up for Canada" campaign, as the Tories unveiled their law and order program, in which they not only pledged to get tough on drug criminals, but renewed their vow to dump the wasteful law requiring Canadians to register their sporting rifles and shotguns. Instead, the Conservatives will pump the money into front-line police officers.

That was clearly the reason for McLellan's attack.

Her timing couldn't have been worse. On Monday, night the Edmonton Police Service recorded its 36th homicide of the year when a young man was gunned down in upscale Riverbend in what appears to be yet another gang-related slaying.

So much for McLellan's precious gun registry.

Because as we've said over and over, while law-abiding hunters and recreational shooters are forced to register their firearms, those intent on murder and other criminal activity don't.

And the criminals' weapon of choice isn't a bulky long gun - it's a handgun. And pistols have been registered in Canada since 1934.