Tell the Klein Government
to Stop Enforcing Ottawa's Gun Registry
(January 15, 2004 - Alberta Report) Not much, one suspects, will result from the review the Martin
government announced on Tuesday of Ottawa's splendid billion-dollar
rifle registry. No Liberal politicians are promising the registry
will be junked.
Paul Martin said, "There's a great deal of good in the gun
registry," though he didn't say what.
Unfortunately, there is only one government that could sink the rifle
registry, namely the government of Alberta, and it doesn't want
to. In fact, it's helping Ottawa enforce it. Alberta has
brought charges under the Criminal Code against Oscar Lacombe, the
75-year-old Metis war veteran from Mundare who publicly defied the registration
deadline a year ago.
Alberta's Justice Department, headed by Edmonton Whitemud MLA David
Hancock, has allowed a federal prosecutor to charge Lacombe under the
Criminal Code for failing to register. Hancock then claimed in the
Legislature (November 25) that because a federal prosecutor (named
Michelle Doyle) was in the courtroom, the federal government was doing
the prosecuting. But this was flat out false.
His own department appointed her as its agent; and had it not done so
she could not have been in court. Sneaky, eh?
She was asked at the start of Lacombe's trial whom she
represented. "For the record," she told the judge,
"the Federal Crown is attending as agent for the Provincial Crown
in this matter."
Had she said anything else, the trial would have ended right there,
because ONLY provincial governments can prosecute Criminal Code offences
(regardless of whom they authorize to do it). It makes you wonder
what on earth the Klein government thinks it's gaining, especially after
swearing up and down since 1998 it would not prosecute registry
offences.
All Hancock had to do was tell the feds to prosecute Lacombe themselves
under the same provision in the federal Firearms Act. Lacombe
could then have challenged the Firearms Act on at least 10 grounds under
the Charter of Rights.
And note this: Lacombe is now awaiting his verdict and
sentence. Upon conviction he will appeal. The government of
Alberta can stay the charge prior to the verdict, or abandon the case on
appeal. Either way, Lacombe wins and Ottawa loses.
It's utterly simple. Let Oscar go!
If Hancock drops the charge, as he is perfectly free to do, he would
give Ottawa's rifle registry a big, black, embarrassing political
shiner. The feds would then have to watch Lacombe publicly thumb
his nose at their registry, or give him a chance to get it struck down
under the Charter of Rights - something they have never yet allowed to
happen because they know it violates fundamental civil rights.
If you'd like to get the government to smarten up, you can visit the
website citizenscentre.com.
From there you can send a letter to your MLA, along with copies to the
premier and the justice minister. (Other Canadians can use the site
to write Ralph directly.)
The letter is already written for you and you don't need to know your
MLA's name, address or riding. Just type in your own name and
postal code and the rest is done for you. It takes about thirty
seconds and sends a clear message.
If all we're willing to do is belly-ache about the rifle registry and
nothing else, we're as bad as the Alberta government. Big talk, no
fight.
Oscar Lacombe is doing his duty. We should all do ours.
Contact your MLA. That's why he's there.
~Link Byfield |
