Each time I travel around participating in local events and talking with people it strikes me again how, despite Northern Albertans’ diversity of cultures and opinions, we all work together to make Northern Alberta the best place to live.

The response to my recent “No Old Age Security Benefits for 3-year Canadians” mailout has been overwhelming. Hundreds of people told me they do not want this costly bill to become law. Our Conservative Government is committed to fighting Liberal Ruby Dhalla’s proposal to cut the qualifying period for access to OAS from the current 10 years to three years.

We are also continuing our fight to end the long-run registry.  Conservative MP Candice Hoeppner who introduced the private members’ bill launched a new website promoting her summer tour across the country to rally support for her private Member’s bill to end the long-gun registry.

This summer tour will take her into the ridings of various Opposition MPs to dispel myths and get the message out that it’s time to end the long-gun registry.

“I’m challenging those 20 Opposition Members of Parliament who supported my bill at 2nd reading to tell their constituents how they plan to vote when my bill returns to the House of Commons in September,” said Ms. Hoeppner. “These twelve NDP and eight Liberal MPs need to follow through and finish the job by voting in support of my bill to end the wasteful and ineffective long-gun registry.”

Bill C-391 was studied at the Public Safety Committee this spring until the Opposition-dominated committee passed a motion in June to not proceed further with it. The motion will be voted on in the House of Commons on September 22nd, and if passed, would stop the bill.

Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff has indicated he will whip the Liberal caucus vote, while last week, NDP Justice Critic Joe Comartin suggested that some of the NDP Members who originally supported Bill C-391 may now be changing their minds.

“My goal is to ensure that I have the necessary votes to see my bill pass,” Ms. Hoeppner concluded. “These Opposition MPs have a duty to the people who elected them – will they tow the party line, or will they do the right thing, listen to their constituents, and vote to scrap the registry once and for all?”

The “Scrap the Long-Gun Registry” website provides information about the actual cost of maintaining the long-gun registry, Candice’s summer tour and suggestions on how supporters can take action to help end the registry. The website is located at http://www.scraptheregistry.ca .

I encourage you to visit the website and show your support to get rid of this wasteful and costly registry.