Will the NDP vote to kill the gun registry?

[EmilyKent]

Less than a month from now, the heated battle over the nation's long-gun registry could come down to the voting decisions of 12 NDP members of Parliament. Will they vote to keep the registry, or to kill it?

http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Dozen+could+decide+fate+long+registry/3438155/story.html#ixzz0xdqmcr9o

[CHIMO]

1. NDP rethinks opposition to gun registry

OTTAWA—Some rural and northern New Democrat MPs may stay away from the upcoming vote on the long-gun registry, a move that could save the controversial program, the Star has learned.

The about-face is driven in part by tactics the Conservative government is employing as it tries to build support for killing the registry. One Conservative MP has accused Canada’s police chiefs of plotting to use the registry to seize Canadians’ rifles and shotguns.

“You’ve got the Conservatives turning off our rural guys,” said Brad Lavigne, national director of the NDP. He added that two “very real options” are available to rural members — stay away or reverse their earlier support for the Conservative bill.

Staying away from the vote is the easier of the two, Lavigne said.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/gunregistry/article/856086--ndp-rethinks-opposition-to-gun-registry?bn=1

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/smart-alecky-liberals-unload-both-barrels-on-gun-registry/article1694433/?cmpid=rss1

Census 'raspberries' put Tories on par with Liberals

Stephen Harper’s miscalculation on the census has resuscitated Michael Ignatieff’s Liberals with the two parties now deadlocked, according to a new poll.

Released Thursday morning, the EKOS survey delivers nothing but bad news for the Tories, showing their support reduced to a narrow base of hardcore older Western males. This, as they bleed support from women, young people and university educated Canadians.

Quebec is now “scorched earth” for the Conservatives. The EKOS numbers indicate the party would be reduced to one seat from the 11 they now hold in that province.

It’s all because of the government’s decision to scrap the mandatory long-form census, pollster Frank Graves says.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/census-raspberries-put-tories-on-par-with-liberals/article1693645/


If one thing stands out to me it is this: The Greens are within 3% points of the NDP. The quiet conservatives are undermining the NDP. Perhaps it is not surprising after all. With the exit of people like Bill Blakie all that is left of the NDP is politics. Sad.