Beyond The Commons

Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Speaking for the victims

by Aaron Wherry on Monday, September 20, 2010 6:15pm - 0 Comments

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, in QP this afternoon. “Mr. Speaker, in fact, we are listening to victims. And victims want dangerous, repeat criminals in prison. They want safe streets. They don’t want the dangerous criminals on the streets. And they want laws that target the criminals. They don’t believe that the long-gun registry targets criminals. In fact, it targets law-abiding hunters and farms and sportspeople right across this country. It’s not a law we need in Canada.”

National Victims of Crime Ombudsman Sue O’Sullivan, about an hour later“In the few short weeks since my appointment, I have had the opportunity to begin an important dialogue with national victims’ groups on a number of issues, including the long-gun registry,” explained Ms. O’Sullivan. “Though there is no consensus, the majority of victims’ groups we have spoken to have made it clear: Canada should maintain its long-gun registry.”

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  • E_B_

    Yes, but the fact that these victims have formed groups is a clear sign that they are elitists. I'm sure that the minister was probably speaking for the victims who are not so well organized.

    I mean, really, did the minister indicate in any way that he spoke to victim's groups?

    • tedbetts

      Perhaps he was referring to all those unreported victims.

  • Patchouli

    Poor Sue Sullivan: only in her job a few weeks before she tries to cross harper.

    Buh-bye, Ms Sullivan! Didn't they tell you you weren't actually supposed to do your job?

    • Peterborough Dave

      No you idiots, I wanted LOU O'Sullivan! LOU O'Sullivan. Must I do everything myself!

  • http://twitter.com/FrazerJK @FrazerJK

    the stupid thing here is that victims weren't effected by the long gun registry they were effected by criminals. People are victimized by hammers too, should we register our hammers because criminals use them?

    If victims really were so worried about violent crime they would fight for the police to track not law abiding gun owners but criminals who commit violent crime! Lots of people in Canada are banned from owning firearms yet there is no tracking to keep them from committing violent crime.

    Want to protect victims and potential victims of the future? Scrap the registry and start registering violent offenders!

    • Richard_S_Argent

      Why must the two be mutually exclusive? Why can't we have both a firearm registry and a violent offender registry?

      Actually, I was under the impression that we already had a sex offender registry. http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/prg/cor/tls/soir-en…

    • Stewart_Smith

      If law abiding gun owners were law abiding, would they not abide the law? (Not as catchy as woodchucks chucking wood but you get the drift.)

      If every gun owner voluntarily registered all their weapons: 1) the cost of the registry would drop, 2) its value would skyrocket. Hold on, the criminals don't register firearms…. great, lockem up. The problem now is that all the quasi-legitimate gun owners who do not register their weapons are acting as cover for the bad guys. You are like the clowns at the G20 who helped out the anarchists.

      ps I agree that we should register violet offenders. That way if they sign up to become a hockey coach or something the organization involved could require a background check with the police. That would be an excellent idea.

      I think the real compromise needed here is not wrt cost, paperwork etc, but rather that legitimate gun owners want a guarantee that their weapons will not be confiscated. Give it to them!

      • bill_y

        re: "I think the real compromise needed here is not wrt cost, paperwork etc, but rather that legitimate gun owners want a guarantee that their weapons will not be confiscated. Give it to them"…. unfortunately, i am not sure that many would believe such a guarantee….

        • Phil

          Any thoughts and why that would be? (The disbelief, that is.)

          I'm mixed on the gun registry itself, but if there was a genuine hint that confiscation was the end game of the gun registry I'll be out on the streets with gun owners. Not to say that confiscation isn't on the minds of some fringers…….

      • tedbetts

        Yeah, but what about blue offenders, or emerald offenders or those nefarious fuscia offenders? Why pick on just the violet offenders, Stewart? What did they ever do to you?

        • Stewart_Smith

          It is a Barney the dinosaur thing… and I don\t really want to talk about it.

      • Jenn_

        That was absolutely bang on. Thanks.

    • NorthernPoV

      hey fraz
      Check out the effect of your affectation…

      I say we register those that mangle the English language before they make police-state suggestions.

    • sea_n_mountains

      demonize the victim. classic.

    • rockfish

      Drunk drivers are the ones who create victims. But its not the car that is at fault, so why punish the car owner who doesn't drink and drive and force them to register their vehicle? After all, we know cops target vehicles through registration checks, thus they are taking the police away from just arresting more drunk drivers, not law abiding car drivers.
      Stop the road side checks and let me drive my unregistered car! Stop punishing law-abiding drivers who aren't drunk (or guilty of other vehicular stunts)!

  • Emily

    Another appointee turns on Harper. LOL

    • Amateur Hour

      That's not exactly fair. O'Sullivan was simply being truthful. She wasn't turning on anyone.

      Toews on the other hand has been lying for years. He lies with such regularity that he probably wouldn't recognize the truth if it slapped him.

      Harper has no principles of any kind, so concepts such as truth and falsehood are foreign to him, which is part of the reason Toews maintains his job, lying sod that he is.

      A lier and a coddler of lies. Thanks for representing us with such honour and dignity, fellas.

  • Stewart_Smith

    Here is the earlier link to her appointment
    http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/08/19/a-quick-study/

    Speculation was that she would keep her nose out of the long-gun-registry. Speculation was wrong.

    In the comments to the links be sure to note the absolutely classic FVerhoeven, truly a master in that particular art.

    • LaxAtlDfwYow

      I'm guessing that there may be a back story here. Sue O’Sullivan was the in-house favourite in the running for the Chief's job in Ottawa but lost the appointment to Vern White, formerly of Durham. Last week White essentially broke ranks with the Chiefs' group and said he was a registry skeptic. I can't imagine O’Sullivan is much of a Vern White fan. His speaking out may well have made it easier for her to do the same.

  • tobyornotoby

    Anyone else feel like they are an actor in a badly written play? If someone could please point towards the exit I'm ready to exeunt or whatever we thespians say.

  • Gary

    I'm sure Victim Rights Groups would like the revolving door called the Canada Justice System to lock up criminals for just a tad longer, which would mean the need for more jails. Is Whinney going to hitch his horse to that cart in the name of "speaking for the victims"? Thought so!

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