jdobbin

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/091106/national/adq_implosion What the heck is happening with this party?

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/091106/national/stimulus_blitz I guess all the patting themselves on the back with the last month shows just how weak private job growth has been. As I pointed out in the last employment update, the growth in jobs seemed to be all public sector.

Think you forget what I said in full on that. I said that based on how poorly the Liberals were prepared, the Tories should win a massive majority.

I guess an actual Tory spokesman will have to tell me that they don't mean the handgun registry is ineffective. Forgive me not believing you as are anonymous.

It is why I don't see it happening except early on in a majority mandate. Kind of silly not to since the evidence given could be compelling enough to change people's views one way or the other.

You keep saying it is just long guns but the Tory argument has been about effectiveness of the registry. If it useless to the police on long guns, why is it useful on handguns?

I heard the same arguments made about why Harper would never call an election unless he lost as confidence vote too. You probably thought it was impossible when I said I believed he would do it back in 2006.

My feeling is that Nova Scotia will go Tory based on traditional voting patterns. It is the B.C. riding that could be the surprise. Although I don't know the local situation or candidates with great detail, I think the Tories can win this seat. The Liberals will finish well back in both ridings.

Quite possibly. But would enough oppose it to make it an issue next election? Don't know about that. It is why I believe that the whole thing needs to be looked at for effectiveness.

I have shown that Harper doesn't think registration is effective. One thing we do know is that Harper sometimes goes against his word. Income trusts and fixed election dates come to mind. However, you somehow now think that ending the registry entirely is impossible.

The whole registry although I've never seen a full assessment of the entire thing.

I don't believe the Tories have hidden their feeling towards the registry. It is why I don't think it is impossible that the whole thing could go but not in without a majority.

Think I already said I asked people in this forum to assess or to push for an assessment of the effectiveness of the registry. For myself, I am pushing to get the MPs on the committee to look at the effectiveness in general and called my local MP to ask the committee to call witnesses. I have asked in the capacity as a constituent and taxpayer. Although opposed to the registry when it was started, I do want to hear if it is useful and effective now. If it is found that the registry is useless, end it. But I want to know if that applies to the registry entirely. If one part of it is useless, why not all of it?

But why? If the argument is that the registry is useless for long guns, why is it useful for handguns? If it is unreliable, costly and generally ineffective for one, why not the other?

My view is that it bypasses the Constitution. It can't be forced on the provinces nor should it be forced on the federal government.

I said Tories have argued about the effectiveness about the registry in general. I cited Van Loan just making that argument. It is why I believe the Tories given a majority could make the same argument on handguns. Do you think that is completely impossible and if not, why not? Sometimes government make unpopular choices early in their mandate knowing that it probably won't figure as much later on. I think that this may be such a case. I know the Liberals won't end the database nor any other party but I do believe the Tories given the history of their arguments on registry could do it if it came as part of a package of crime bills on illegal gun use.

A rifle is hard to conceal. A sawed off shotgun not too difficult. But is it effective? The Tories say the registries are not effective and that the problem is with illegal handguns. You are saying that the handgun registry is effective? Do you know for certain that it is? Think that has been my argument. It is the licence that should first be looked at and tracked at all times. I am not convinced on a central database but want further study to confirm that. My belief is that the Tories don't believe in it either but are not interested in studying the matter. It is why I think the argument that the database is useless would come after winning a majority. You seem to think it is childish to think that is possible. If I saw a logical assessment that the database was both useless and costly and there were other choices available, I'd support the change. As I have said many times here, I did not support the registry. However, I wanted to hear a full assessment on it before acting in haste.

I believed it was going to be expensive to run a central database on guns when licences seemed more important for policing.

One again, why the personalizing? I don't believe I have attacked you. I have asked why the handgun registry is useful if the Tories believe the registry in general cannot be relied on. I've said I believe the Tories will end that handgun registry if they have a majority using the argument that it is ineffective. I keep hearing that is impossible but have not heard a good reason why.

Maybe the Tories should respect the Constitution. They might win a majority if they did that.

I suspect in fourth place in one of the ridings. In the other, they may squeak out a third. I think the NDP hurt themselves with some voting to end the gun registry. The BQ could win big.

Unfortunately, the provinces don't get to decide their senators. If they do want that, they should ask for constitutional hearings instead of bypassing the process.

Why is that you consistently act out? I don't believe you need a check to act the way you do. It is in your nature to personalize.

Think I've said numerous times that I opposed the registry. Still, I'd like to see a full assessment of it before simply ending it. My feeling is that if the long gun registry is useless and costly, it probably holds true for the hand gun one as well. But I wouldn't end it unless I was dead certain that a better approach could be made.

I have said there is nothing secret about it. The Tories says the registry is useless. If it is, why keep it? I personally think the issue should be studied but I was opposed to the idea of the registry in large part because I believed it was going to be expensive and not as useful as records on gun licences. My view includes the handgun registry. I want to know if is truly and wholly useful. I don't want to end either if they can be shown to be effective. However, my feeling is that neither of them is and that the focus should be on licencing.