Recently, Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird invoked the country’s former long-gun registry as the Conservative Government refused to say when or even if Canada will sign a treaty aimed at stemming the flow of illegal weapons and ammunition around the world. His argument is that the proposed Arms Trade Treaty, approved by an overwhelming majority of countries in the UN’s General Assembly, would resurrect the long-gun registry “through the backdoor.” Remember, the Conservatives scrapped the national long-gun registry last February, claiming that the registry only hurt law-abiding sportsmen and law-abiding hunters and farmers. This despite the fact that a survey conducted exclusively in October 2010 for Postmedia News and Global Television found that public support for the registry stood at 66 percent nationally. As well, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police had unanimously endorsed a new national firearms policing strategy and had publicly pushed the need for the National Firearms Registry.
While this became Canada’s national policy, the proposed Treaty has nothing to do with domestic gun owners’ rights. Even U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has stated that the Treaty will not undermine the legitimate international trade in conventional weapons, interfere with national sovereignty or infringe on the rights of American citizens, including Second Amendment rights. It is designed to prevent the illegitimate arms trade, particularly as it affects third world countries. However, should the U.S. administration sign the Treaty, it will still have to be ratified by Congress. Good luck!!!
Meanwhile, the current Canadian government openly fought the proposed Treaty as it now stands. This despite the fact that the previous Liberal government had been a strong proponent of the Treaty during preliminary discussions at the U.N. Ridiculously, the Conservatives are even pushing for language in the Treaty’s preamble affirming “respect” for the lawful ownership of firearms by private citizens. Specifically, Canada has asked that the treaty recognize the use of “firearms for recreational purposes, such as sport shooting, hunting and other similar forms of lawful activities.” Moreover, Canada today stands out as one of only a few countries — including Israel — pushing for recognition in the Treaty of lawful public ownership and recreational use of firearms.
Last March, newly released documents showed that Canadian officials had been instructed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government to “play a low-key, minimal role” — and that their main objective was safeguarding Canadian gun owners’ rights. Now, what does this have to do with the illegal international trade in small guns and ammunition? Let’s face it, we’re not talking about hunting rifles here. The Treaty is all about trying to come to grips with the on-going trade in military-type weaponry. The landmark Arms Trade Treaty approved by the General Assembly on April 2, 2013, is aimed at regulating the international trade in conventional arms, from small arms to battle tanks, combat aircraft and warships. Yes, it would include the tracking by ratifying countries of all arms trade, including that from Canada. How such tracking provides any potential “backdoor” resurrection of a domestic long-gun registry is anyone’s guess!! Sorry, Canada. You may have just left the “front door” wide open to cries of hypocrisy and subsequent further international alienation. On this one, you’re up the proverbial creek in the eyes of your allies. For shame, for shame.
FROLITICKS 