CANDICE HOEPPNER CALLS ON OPPOSITION TO EXPLAIN BACKROOM TACTICS BLOCKING BILL C-391

June 18, 2009

Repeal of Long-Gun Registry Bill deserves a Vote in the House of Commons
 
OTTAWA – Candice Hoeppner, Member of Parliament for Portage-Lisgar, today called on the opposition parties to explain why they are preventing her Private Member’s Bill C-391 from reaching debate and a vote in the House of Commons. Bill C-391 aims to deliver on a long-standing Conservative commitment to repeal the long-gun registry and is currently before the Procedure and House Affairs Sub-Committee on Private Members’ Business.
 
“Bill C-391 is a good, legitimate piece of legislation that will put an end to the wasteful and ineffective long-gun registry,” said Mrs. Hoeppner, who was joined at a press conference by Garry Breitkreuz, Member of Parliament for Yorkton-Melville and Scott Reid, MP for Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox & Addington. “I am pleased to say that since its introduction, my Bill has garnered significant support from all sides of the House and I am confident it will pass if brought forward to a vote,” Hoeppner added.
 
Bill C-391 is the only legislation currently before the House of Commons proposing a repeal of the long-gun registry and clearly satisfies all of the criteria necessary to be brought forward for debate and a vote. By trying to prevent Bill C-391 from coming forward, opposition members sitting on the Procedure and House Affairs Sub-Committee are ignoring the rules and practices of the House of Commons, ignoring all precedent and procedure, and ignoring the advice of committee analysts who say the Bill is legitimate.
 
“The opposition leadership is trying to do behind closed doors what they could never do in the harsh light of day, and that is to kill this Bill without any justification,” said Hoeppner. “My bill deserves to be debated and voted on in the House of Commons.  I call on the opposition members sitting on the committee to stop hiding and stand before Canadians to explain their tactics.”