Pubdate: Wed, 25 Jul 2007
Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)
Copyright: 2007, The Globe and Mail Company
Contact:  http://www.globeandmail.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168
Authors: Murray Campbell, and Campbell Clark
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)

GUN-CONTROL A TWO-WAY STREET, MCGUINTY SAYS

GUELPH, ONT., OTTAWA -- Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty says he wants 
to work with U.S. states to stem the flow into Canada of smuggled 
handguns, but he warned that Canadian governments will have to do 
something in return to deal with U.S. complaints about the southward 
flow of marijuana.

"We need to find a way for provinces and states to come to terms with 
this," he told reporters in Guelph.

A spokesman for the Premier said later that preliminary talks have 
been held between Ontario officials and their counterparts in 
Michigan and New York. Mr. McGuinty acknowledged that there is 
pushback on Canada's responsibility for drug exports.

"Their concern, when I talk to my colleagues down there, is, 'Look, 
you're sending illegal drugs down here. You want to talk to me about 
guns coming up there, I've got to talk to you about your marijuana 
and other stuff going down there.'

"You know what? They've got a point," he added. "I think we need to 
be honest about this being a two-way street and we need to find a way 
to better enforce existing laws."

Reacting to continued gun violence in Toronto, in particular the 
shooting death last weekend of an 11-year-old boy, Mr. McGuinty 
repeated his call for a complete ban on handgun ownership because, he 
said, too many lawful weapons are being stolen by criminals.

The Premier expressed frustration with Ottawa yesterday, saying it is 
moving too slowly on measures to deal with gun crime and is weakening 
existing gun-control laws.

Earlier this week, Toronto Mayor David Miller said residents are 
almost-unanimous in their support for a ban on handguns.

"People are as frustrated as I am that these tragedies occur that are 
preventable," he said. "It is my job to raise the profile of this nationally."

Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said he has expressed concerns 
to U.S. counterparts about gun smuggling. But he said there is no 
simple deal that could be reached with the U.S. that would suddenly 
staunch the flow of guns.

"To give the impression that there's one simple thing that can fix 
the large problem would be misleading our own citizens and it would 
give the impression that this is anything but a multifaceted 
approach. We have to be aggressive on a number of levels," he said.

"We work aggressively together. It's not a matter of shaking fists at 
each other."

He said the Tories have increased border security, setting money 
aside for technology and 400 more border guards, and pledging to fund 
1,000 more RCMP officers.

Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said in an interview yesterday that 
better laws at home are more important than pressuring the United States.

He rejected calls for a full handgun ban, arguing that further 
controls will only target the wrong people. A handgun ban and the 
long-gun registry are not the answer to inner-city shootings, he said.

"I think it should be very clear with respect to handguns that there 
already is an effective ban on handguns in this country. I mean, 
they're tightly controlled. They're only available for employment 
purposes like police officers, armoured-car guards, legitimate target 
shooters and approved gun collectors," he said.

"It's the same argument with respect to the long-gun registry. Taking 
guns away from duck hunters, antique collectors and sports shooters, 
in my opinion, is not the way to solve the urban gun-crime problem."

Mr. Nicholson said that the Ontario government should be pointing the 
finger at federal Liberals in Ottawa, insisting that they have 
delayed the passage of bills to toughen gun-crime sentences and 
create a "reverse-onus" for bail for gun crimes. The latter bill, now 
before the Senate, would direct judges to only release those accused 
of gun crime if they can show they are not a threat.

"It's their federal [Liberal] cousins they should be calling on to 
pass some of these pieces of legislation," Mr. Nicholson said.

"Either [Liberal Leader Stephane] Dion doesn't have control over the 
Liberal senators, or - and I suspect this - they're not serious about 
getting tough on crime in the first place."

The federal Liberals, however, insist it's the Tories who are to 
blame for delays in passing the reverse onus bail, holding it back so 
they can accuse the Liberals of being soft on crime.

The parliamentary record shows both parties were responsible for 
delaying some gun bills. The Liberals and Bloc Quebecois opposed the 
Tory bill to increase minimum gun-crime sentences, suggesting smaller 
increases, before the Tories and NDP cut a deal to pass it through the Commons.

But on the reverse-onus bail bill, it was the Conservatives who did 
not start debate in the Commons until Feb. 13. It ended in March. The 
Liberals then agreed to fast-track the bill through a special 
committee, and it was passed by the Commons June 5. It therefore 
moved to the Senate only in the last days of the spring session, 
behind other justice bills.

Mr. McGuinty acknowledged that a ban on Canadian handgun ownership 
would not completely deal with the situation since many weapons 
involved in crime are smuggled into this country from the United 
States. Provincial officials estimate that at least 50 per cent of 
the handguns used in crime come from south of the border.

He said border security is the responsibility of national governments 
but he hinted that provinces and states could play a role in 
decreasing the contraband weapons trade.

The spokesman for Mr. McGuinty said the Premier has noted the success 
that sub-national jurisdictions have had in dealing with climate 
change and is hoping that states and provinces could also work around 
the unwillingness in Ottawa and Washington to crack down on gun trafficking.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom