Tories get blast
Alliance takes aim at gun registry role

By MICHELLE MARK, CALGARY SUN
July 16, 2003

Leaders of the Canadian Alliance are blasting their Tory counterparts for their role in implementing gun registry regulations across the country.

The latest move flies in the face of measures just last month by Canadian Alliance leader Stephen Harper to woo disgruntled Tories to join his party, launching a new drive to unite the right.

The Alliance pamphlet issued to thousands of Calgary homeowners by local MPs says: "The federal gun registry has wasted over $1 billion. When it came to the Senate, 19 Tory senators voted for the gun registry. Without their support, it never would have become law. The PC Party and the Liberals are to blame for this terrible waste of money."

But a spokesman for Tory leader Peter MacKay says the statement has him "utterly perplexed."

"We don't understand why some members of the Alliance seem to be taking aim at us when we're supposed to be finding a way to work together," William Stairs said.

He also said while some Tories may have supported the registry, the vast majority voted against.

"We are against the law on gun registry, everybody knows that," he said, adding just 19 out of 105 senators voted in support of the registry.

"A political party is not a monolithic institution ... and people have differences of opinion. That's what political parties are all about, they can't have everybody voting the same."

Speaking on behalf of Harper, who was unavailable, Alliance MP Grant Hill played down the accusations and said his party has softened its stance on the matter.

Although the pamphlet clearly points fingers at both parties in what they call the "Tory-Liberal billion dollar gun registry," Hill says the Alliance now hopes to join the Tories in focusing the blame solely on the Liberals.