COMMENTARY — A PRIME MINISTER FOR ALL CANADIANS
“Justin Trudeau has promised to end a decade of divisive politics, vowing to unite Canadians and embrace diversity.
“I will be the prime minister of all Canadians,” he told a crowded rally in Montreal after winning a historic Liberal majority government.” – CBC News.
Last Monday, the Liberal Party of Canada roared into power with an unexpected majority government.
This is the same party that has promised to: renew its historic assault upon law-abiding Canadian firearm owners; cripple a $6-billion-a-year industry by imposing a useless marking system that even the United Nations didn’t specifically ask for; and will hand over Canada’s sovereignty to the United Nations by signing the largely-flawed Arms Trade Treaty. They also have promised to repeal Bill C-42 and reclassify firearms, all the while handing control of our firearm laws to the RCMP.
But Canadians voted for them – in spades. Many firearm owners voted for them too, and their majority election is clear proof of that. The Liberals are soon to be the Government of Canada. That is the will of our democracy.
The CSSA bears no ill intentions against the new government of Justin Trudeau. Our election stance – which we proudly took – was a reflection of the stated intentions of the Liberal party and its policy platform. The Liberal policy document states this intention very clearly, and we believe it. After all, there is a long track record to consider, and we have walked this road before.
We have been inundated with calls and emails asking us what we will do next. That answer is simple: the CSSA will continue to represent the interests of our members with the Liberal government in the same factual, professional way we have demonstrated in the past. Government relations will continue, and we look forward to meeting the new Minister of Public Safety and advocating the positions of our membership and our greater community. And we will do it with the quiet competence and professionalism our members have come to expect from the CSSA.
To the huge number of people who have joined the association in recent days: please be patient. Our office staff is working flat out to process the flood of new memberships in as timely a fashion as possible.
To all of you who receive the Team CSSA E-News, we ask again that you distribute this material as widely as possible. Timely communication with the firearms community is essential. Information is our friend.
Canadians voted for change – and to be sure, change is coming.
“I will be the prime minister of all Canadians.”
We hope so, Mr. Trudeau. Please don’t forget about the 2.1 million honest, licensed firearm owners in this country. You are now their Prime Minister too.
THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD – WE NEED YOU!
The CSSA is reactivating our letter-writing teams. This group of articulate scribes are needed to counter inaccurate or biased media with fact-based points of view. Our previous letter-writing team was very effective in helping Canadians understand the many problems with the now deceased long-gun registry. Some basic training is provided.
As well, this group will also be schooled in Access to Information requests and how to properly prepare and submit them on the CSSA’s behalf.
If you are interested, please send an email to Christine Scott at christine.scott@cssa-cila.org.
WE’RE LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD MEN AND WOMEN!
Do you want to tell your children and your grandchildren that you were “on the front line” protecting their rights?
Team CSSA is working to re-energize and re-focus our corps of volunteer regional directors. Would you like to be part of our exciting new RD Program and help represent Canada’s greatest firearm organization across the nation?
It will require some definite, but modest, time commitments. Time well spent with friendly firearm owners representing the Canadian Shooting Sports Association. If you’re interested, please send an email to Christine Scott at christine.scott@cssa-cila.org
Thank you!
Team CSSA
CSSA DOUBLE TAP! YOU CAN WIN!
You can win this incredible combo: a Tikka T3 Camo rifle in your choice of available calibres AND a Scorpion Optics Venom Hi Grade 4-16×44 AE SF with rings, donated to the CSSA by the good folks at Scorpion Optics.
For the serious shooter wanting a super-accurate, camo rifle with a non-reflective stainless steel barrel, a camo-patterned fibreglass-reinforced copolymer stock (Realtree Hardwoods® HDTM) and a superb optical sight on top, this combination can’t be beat.
All you have to do is make a $10 donation to the CSSA, and we will give you a free chance to win this great gun/scope hunting rig. Better yet, we will give you THREE chances with a $20 donation, TEN for $50 and a $100 donation can get you TWENTY chances and a free one-year membership to the Canadian Shooting Sports Association.
This beautiful hunting combo will find a new home November 1, 2015.
Please send your payment to:
Double Tap c/o CSSA, 116 Galaxy Blvd, Etobicoke ON M9W 4Y6
or call 1-888-873-4339.
Donate online at www.cssa-cila.org
Please note: the winner must have a valid Canadian firearms license.
“Allan Rock said he came to Ottawa with the belief that only the police and military should have firearms. I believe that firearms ownership is a right, but a right that comes with responsibilities.” – The Honourable Steven Blaney, former Minister of Public Safety
HELP SUPPORT THE GREAT WORK THE CSSA DOES TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS. DONATE HERE
TOP 6 POSSIBLE GTA PICKS FOR TRUDEAU’S CABINET – PM-DESIGNATE HAS PLENTY OF OPTIONS FOR CABINET AMONG NEW CROP OF TORONTO-AREA MPS (By Stephanie Matteis | CBC News | October 20, 2015)
Among the challenges facing Justin Trudeau is deciding who to promote on his team and who will not get a cabinet post. There are star rookies who might make a good choice but with 99 Conservatives and 44 NDP MPs looking for every misstep, he will have to make careful cabinet picks.
With attention to balance, geography and experience, here are some picks for the list of considerations in the GTA:
Bill Blair, Scarborough Southwest
Rookie politician and former Toronto police chief won the riding of Scarborough Southwest Monday night in a Liberal sweep of the city. (CBC News)
As the former police chief in the nation’s biggest city, Blair is a strong contender for a justice or national defence portfolio. He certainly has the gravitas and is tough on crime, with potential to challenge the perception the Liberals may have been soft on crime in the past.
Chrystia Freeland, University-Rosedale
Chrystia Freeland secures victory in University-Rosedale riding for Liberal party. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)
The former journalist was the Liberal party’s trade critic and a is good bet for a portfolio, possibly this one. Insiders say she’s been Trudeau’s confidant on foreign affairs issues and someone he listens to and trusts.
So though she’s relatively new to parliament, having replaced outgoing MP Bob Rae in 2013, she is likely to get a portfolio that’s a heavy lift.
Adam Vaughan, Spadina-Fort York
Liberal Adam Vaughan, who defeated the NDP’s Olivia Chow last night in Spadina-Fort York, said he noticed many NDP voters switching their support to the Liberals in the final weeks of the campaign. (CBC)
Even before he was a Liberal candidate, Vaughan gave advice on infrastructure and wrote housing policies for the federal party. In the Tory government, the post was as minister of infrastructure, communities and intergovernmental affairs, Housing has been dropped from the portfolio for years.
Could it be revived with an appointment for an MP with comprehensive understanding of the issue in Canada’s largest city? The competing interest, though, is whether or not Trudeau gives the portfolio to an MP in Quebec, where crumbling infrastructure is a major issue. With Trudeau’s his home riding in Papineau, this may be a matter of optics.
Bill Morneau,Toronto Centre
Bill Morneau is one of those rumoured to be Canada’s next minister of finance. (Twitter @Bill_Morneau)
Morneau is the former chair of the C.D. Howe Institute and seen as a successful businessman who helped Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne develop a provincial retirement savings plan to supplement the CPP. He is one of those rumoured to be Canada’s next minister of finance.
Marco Mendicino, Eglinton-Lawrence
Newly elected for the Liberals Marco Mendicino speaks to the CBC after he brought down Finance Minister Joe Oliver in Eglinton-Lawrence. (CBC News)
Seen by many as a barometer of the results, Joe Oliver’s loss in this riding is significant. He lost to Mendicino, who doesn’t have a political background. Mendicino is a former Crown lawyer, prosecuting cases against organized crime and terrorism and has been an advocate for judicial changes.
If Blair is hypothetically given national defence or a public safety portfolio, that could leave justice to Mendicino.
Mark Holland, Ajax
Mark Holland is a former MP who beat Chris Alexander, the former citizenship and immigration minister. ((Amber Hildebrandt/CBC))
Holland is a former MP who beat Chris Alexander, the former citizenship and immigration minister.
Holland worked as the executive director of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada’s Ontario Mission and was national director of Children and Youth. He also has six years experience working on the hill.
See the story: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/trudeau-cabinet-liberals-1.3279695
7 KEY TRUDEAU PROMISES SHOW WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT (By Star staff | Toronto Star | October 20, 2015)
The next prime minister and his party have promised to run deficits, increase child care benefits and amend the anti-terrorism bill
Justin Trudeau, who will become Canada’s 23rd prime minister after his Liberal Party routed Stephen Harper’s Conservatives on Monday night, comes to power promising sweeping changes to the economy, foreign relations, and social policies.
Here’s what to expect based on Trudeau’s key campaign pledges.
1. Deficit spending
Trudeau broke with Canada’s balanced-budget orthodoxy — and the Conservatives and NDP — by pledging to run $25 billion in deficits over three years to take advantage of low interest rates.
The borrowing will help underpin federal spending on public transportation over the next decade — a response to worsening congestion in Toronto, Vancouver and other cities.
“The fact is now is not the time to remove millions and billions of dollars from the Canadian economy,” Trudeau said in August. “Now is the time to grow the economy, to invest in the middle class and those working hard to join it.”
2. Taxes
In pursuit of middle-class votes, the Liberals promised to introduce a new Canada Child Benefit for parents that the party says will be worth $2,500 annually to a typical family of four.
The party will also tweak tax brackets, cutting the rate for middle-class incomes from 22 per cent to 20.5 per cent — which Trudeau said during the campaign would be his first piece of legislation as prime minister. To pay for it, he proposes to create a new 33 per cent bracket on earnings over $200,000 and to review credits that benefit those with high incomes.
3. International Relations
Trudeau said his priority if elected would be to improve Canada’s relations with the U.S. “I look forward to speaking with President Obama if I win Canadians’ trust on Monday to talk about the kind of challenges we’re facing on our continent,” he said on Oct. 17.
In September, Trudeau called for Canada to immediately accept 25,000 Syrian refugees. He did not offer concrete details for how this would be possible, but said it required “political will.”
The Liberals are opposed to Canada’s military mission in Iraq and Syria, and the party said it would favour training Iraqi troops instead.
They also say they will lift the visa requirement for Mexicans, which was imposed under the Conservatives in 2009, and have pledged to sign the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty.
4. Defence and security
Trudeau voted in favour of the Conservatives’ controversial anti-terrorism law, C-51. But the Liberals said they would amend parts of the legislation and give Canada’s security agencies more oversight.
The Liberals said they would scrap the costly purchase of Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 fighter jets. The savings will be directed to the navy, which has been forced by accidents and aging hulls to retire some destroyers and supply ships.
5. Aboriginal issues
Trudeau pledged $2.6 billion in funding for First Nations education programs.
He also said a Liberal government would implement the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and launch an official inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women.
6. Environment
The Liberals said they will set national targets for emissions reduction — while leaving provinces the option of establishing carbon-pricing mechanisms. How the government assesses new projects, like mines and oil pipelines, will also be changed, with the Liberals promising to “restore robust oversight” and toughen environmental protections.
Trudeau has said he will consider supporting the construction of TransCanada Corp.’s Keystone XL pipeline, which would link the Alberta oilsands to Gulf Coast refineries, as well as the Energy East conduit to New Brunswick and the expansion of Kinder Morgan Inc.’s Trans Mountain line to Vancouver.
One pipeline he opposes is Enbridge Inc.’s Northern Gateway, which he says threatens the British Columbia coast.
7. Marijuana, gun control
One of Trudeau’s more eye-catching election pledges was to “legalize, regulate and restrict access” to marijuana, following the example of U.S. states including Colorado and Washington.
The Liberals say doing so will free up police and the courts, and save Canadians from having criminal records for possession of small quantities of the drug — while providing a new source of tax revenue for the provinces and federal government.
They’re also promising tweaks to toughen Canada’s already relatively restrictive gun laws, like “enhanced background checks” for anyone who wants to buy a handgun.
—With files from Bloomberg
See the story: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/10/20/7-key-trudeau-promises-show-what-you-can-expect.html
CANADA IN THE ROUGH – WATERFOWL WHITEOUT
Keith and Kevin Beasley head to the beautiful province of Manitoba to hunt with good friend and owner Kris Wujcik of Michitoba Outfitting! With the snow just melting, the boys head out into the waterfowl fields after snow geese!
See the teaser: http://www.canadaintherough.com/waterfowl-whiteout/
Canada in the Rough can be found on OLN, WILD TV, and CHEX. For a full schedule, visit: http://www.canadaintherough.com/schedules/
PERSPECTIVE ON MASS SHOOTINGS (By Dean Weingarten | Ammoland.com | Oct 21, 2015)
Arizona – (Ammoland.com) This graphic gives needed perspective on the “epidemic” of mass shootings. The question an unbiased observer might ask is “Why is such enormous attention given to such a tiny fraction of deaths?
The answer is fairly easy to understand. The media gains both monetary and political benefits from hyping these shootings.
They gain monetary benefits from increased attention to their programs and advertiser base, but that does not explain why similar mass killings get far less coverage. Clayton Cramer wrote a paper showing that mass killings with guns gets far more coverage than would be warranted by their numbers.
He explores the political motivations for the media to sensationalize mass shootings. Though his paper is now 20 years old, it is worth reading to see that the problem was well understood decades ago.
I have not seen a recent study of the amount of time that the old media devote to mass shooting. But the stated desire of President Obama to politicize the shootings, and the response of the old media to facilitate his desires, is clear.
One of the major reasons that we seem to be having more mass shootings during this administration, is the administration’s and the media’s desire to use those shootings for political purposes.
Progressives call this “manufacturing consent”. Cramer, in his paper, notes that disproportionate coverage of certain crimes changes the public perception of how much of a danger they are.
From Clayton Cramer:
In balance, coverage of crimes in our society can be a valuable tool for decision making. In the political realm, the electorate and their representatives may make rational governmental decisions based on news coverage. Individuals, properly informed, can make rational decisions about their personal safety. But when the population has been misled, intentionally or not, about the nature of the crimes in a society, and the rarity or commonality of those crimes, their decision making will be anything but rational. When the coverage is simply endless repetition of apparently meaningless tragedies, the numbing effect described by Rep. Ames doubtless takes its toll on our population today.
The gun control playbook found during a freedom of information act action by the Second Amendment Foundation, specifically directs disarmists to appeal to emotions rather than to logic or reason.
Key principle number two is to “Tell stories with images and feelings…Our first task is to draw a vivid portrait and make emotional connection. We should rely upon emotionally powerful language, feelings and images to bring home the terrible impact of gun violence.” It also advocates the use of images of scary looking guns and shooting scenes to make a point.
The problem with the disarmist approach is that emotional levers only have a short working life. Once people become engaged enough to actually study the issues, support for more restrictions on firearms ownership falls away. That is why all the disarmists insist on “acting quickly”. If they do not get their restrictions through quickly, they will never go through, because they are irrational.
One of the major strengths of the government system in the United States is that it requires deliberation and it is hard to pass legislation quickly. Big government proponents have learned to short circuit this safeguard by calling everything an “emergency” and by using mechanisms designed to handle emergencies to pass emotional agendas that would never pass otherwise. That is what Governor Cuomo did to pass the “Safe” act in New York.
“Contrary to what the message of necessity said, the NY SAFE Act does not immediately ban the possession or ownership of an estimated one million assault weapons currently in use by New York citizens,” the group said. “Nor does it immediately ban the purchase and sale of assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices between individuals.”
The message of necessity reads: “Some weapons are so dangerous, and some ammunition devices are so lethal, that New York State must act without delay to prohibit their continued sale and possession in the state in order to protect its children, first responders and citizens as soon as possible. This bill, if enacted, would do so by immediately banning the ownership, purchase and sale of assault weapons and large-capacity ammunition feeding devices.”
The problems with emotionally passed legislation has been known as long as the history of the Republic.
c2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
About Dean Weingarten;
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona course for fifteen years until the goal of constitutional carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and recently retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
See the story: http://www.ammoland.com/2015/10/perspective-on-mass-shootings/#axzz3pIlQXGhg
POLL: AMERICANS SEE DEMOCRATS AS ‘OUTSIDE THE MAINSTREAM’ ON GUNS (By AWR Hawkins | Breitbart.com | October 20, 2015)
In a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, the majority of Americans said they see the Democrat Party as “outside the mainstream” on guns. Ironically, almost an identical majority view the Republican Party as “within the mainstream” as it pertains to guns.
Democrats are pro-gun control and Republicans are pro-Second Amendment.
According to The Wall Street Journal, 52 percent of Americans see the Democrats as “outside the mainstream” on guns while just 38 percent see them as “within the mainstream.” The numbers are reversed for the Republicans, with 38 percent saying the GOP is “outside the mainstream” while 51 percent say they are “within the mainstream.”
The Democrat position has been clearly set forward over the past two weeks via presidential hopefuls Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Hillary Clinton, both of whom support massive amounts of new gun control.
Sanders is clearest on his support for an “assault weapons” ban and new regulations on gun shows. As of late he is also warming to the idea of allowing shooting victims to sue gun manufacturers for the criminal misuse of firearms.
Clinton supports these same positions, plus she wants to go after gun stores, to change the definition of “domestic abuse” to include non-married persons–thereby creating a whole new category of persons banned from gun ownership–and believes the gun control approaches used in Australia are “worth looking at” for U.S. gun policy.
On the other hand, current Republican presidential front-runners Ben Carson and Donald Trump both make clear no new gun controls are necessary. In fact, Carson has been calling for the repeal of gun controls that create the gun free zones mass attackers love to target on school campuses and Trump stresses that “concealed carry is a right, not a privilege.”
It is interesting to note the Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll also shows that the driving force behind any continuing degree of support for gun control is found almost exclusively in the Democrat Party. While just 31 percent of Republicans and 51 percent Iof ndependents voiced support for more gun controls at the point of purchase of a firearm, a full 81 percent of Democrats rallied behind such a proposal.
Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
See the story: http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/10/20/poll-americans-see-democrats-outside-mainstream-guns/
LOOKING FOR UPCOMING GUN SHOWS AND MATCHES? Visit our website at:
https://cssa-cila.org/upcoming-events-matches/
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
The CSSA is the voice of the sport shooter and firearms enthusiast in Canada. Our national membership supports and promotes Canada’s firearms heritage, traditional target shooting competitions, modern action shooting sports, hunting, and archery. We support and sponsor youth programs and competitions that promote these Canadian heritage activities.
To join or donate to the CSSA, visit: http://www.cssa-cila.org
Subscribe /Unsubscribe to the CSSA-CILA E-NEWS on our website.
SUBSCRIBE | UNSUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL:
To subscribe send an email to: mailto:cssa-cila-e-news-subscribe@mail.cssa-cila.org
To unsubscribe send an email to: mailto:cssa-cila-e-news-unsubscribe@mail.cssa-cila.org
CANADIAN SHOOTING SPORTS ASSOCIATION | CANADIAN INSTITUTE FOR LEGISLATIVE ACTION
116 Galaxy Boulevard, Etobicoke ON M9W 4Y6
Phone: 416-679-9959 | Fax: 416-679-9910
Toll Free: 1-888-873-4339
E-Mail: info@cssa-cila.org
Website: http://www.cssa-cila.org/
