Posted: Thursday, 10 June 2010

On June 8, we sent a letter signed by hundreds of progressive Canadian women to NDP leader Jack Layton, calling on him to save Canada's gun registry and make sure Bill C-391 is defeated.

Dear Mr. Layton:

We are writing to urge you in the strongest possible way to compel your caucus to save Canada’s gun registry.

We are saddened, even angered, that we must send such a letter.

The decision of 12 individual New Democrat MPs to vote with the Conservatives to kill the gun registry makes this letter not only necessary, but critical to saving the registry and stopping the current momentum of the ultra-right in this country.

It is a terrible irony that your caucus discipline might be weakened just when the accumulation of the government’s assaults on equality have reached the tipping point for so many Canadians. These are the people who will be looking for clear and decisive political alternatives.

We do not believe it should be necessary to list the various reasons why the NDP – a progressive political party - would require caucus solidarity to defend the registry and stop the Conservatives from dismantling a hard-won initiative and tool for reducing crime and saving lives. The registry is supported by women’s groups, unions, the Canadian Labour Congress, the Canadian Chiefs of Police, the Canadian Police Association, the Canadian Coalition for Gun Control and many others.

As a supporter of the registry, you are more than familiar with their reasons. But, as leader of the NDP, we are counting on you for more than personal convictions.
The Harper Conservatives have launched an attack on the progressive foundations of our country. There are no hidden agendas. From day one, this government has attacked the very foundations of equality and well-being. They are not nation builders but thrive on the politics of division and fear.

We should not abet them in their agenda.

It began with the slashing of $4 billion in funding for child care and early learning. Then came the elimination of the Court Challenges Program, the attack on pay equity, and the cutbacks and narrowed mandate for Status of Women Canada. Canada’s reputation as a consensus-builder and progressive force on the world stage has also been greatly diminished under the Harper regime and they continue to undermine efforts to reduce the impact of climate change on our planet.

Every step, every victory, has emboldened the Conservative right. Now they have their sights set on the gun registry and a woman’s right to choose. As progressives – as people who believe in a different, more equitable Canada – we must do everything in our power to stop these attacks.

Mr. Layton, fateful decisions are being made, ones that go beyond the gun registry to the foundations of our society.

The prospect of eliminating the gun registry will further embolden the Conservatives. Indeed, it already has. The fact that we are once again debating abortion in Canada – a woman’s reproductive choice – speaks for itself.

The Conservatives are feeling bolstered by their wins but we can and must deliver a mighty setback to their momentum. We can do this by standing up for our hard-won gun registry, denying them the victory they arrogantly assume is within their grasp.

To do otherwise hands the Conservatives their greatest victory to date. To do otherwise means principles fundamental to the New Democratic Party of Canada can be set aside in times of fear.

During his 1983 speech honouring the 50th anniversary convention of the CCF/ NDP in Canada, Tommy Douglas proclaimed: “The growth and development of the New Democratic Party must never allow us to forget our roots. Don’t sacrifice conviction for success. Don’t ever give up quality for quantity. In a movement like ours, as socialist movements around the world have demonstrated, we’re not just interested in getting votes. We are seeking to get people who are willing to dedicate their lives to build a different kind of society, a society founded on the principles of concern for human well-being and human welfare.”

Tommy Douglas could have been referring to the challenge the gun registry debate presents to today’s New Democratic Party.
As progressive women leaders in our country, we are calling on you to ensure NDP MPs do the right thing. Stand up for the gun registry. Stand up for the progressive movement. Stand up for women’s equality. We must not be cowed by the fear and division that’s being sown by this government but rise with the courage of our convictions. This is how we build a better Canada for all citizens.