“I just hope they remember who they’re supposed to be working for”

There’s an interesting story in the Globe and Mail this morning about a novel new tactic that the Conservatives have taken in their increasingly difficult battle to scrap the gun registry. Novel towards a dishonest and despicable end, of course, but novel just the same.

As the story explains, the Conservatives “have begun running a series [of] Google ads on the Internet, targeting the opposition MPs who initially voted with them to scrap the long-gun registry.”

More traditional versions of this approach are also being taken. “In addition to the ads, the party is making calls into all of the opposition MPs’ ridings; thousands have already been made and more will come over the weekend.”

A senior Conservative Party official spoke to the Globe and Mail, explaining that these ads are only available to people “surfing the net” in the relevant ridings. “The vote hasn’t taken place yet,” the official noted with one arm presumably elbow-deep in a big sack of Tory talking points, “so it’s not too late for these MPs to do the right thing and vote to scrap the wasteful and ineffective long-gun registry as they told their constituents they would.”

And as much as I hate to revel too much in the partisan side of this issue, here’s the quote that made me laugh out loud: “I just hope they remember who they’re supposed to be working for.”

I hope they do too, unnamed and vaguely threatening spokesperson for a bullying, thoroughly anti-democratic government! I hope they remember who they’re supposed to be working for too.

Certainly, a number of them already have – and rumour now has it that another, Peter Stoffer, may become the next to change his vote. Which is notable, in light of the fact that Stoffer “has been against the registry since he was first elected in 1997,” according to the Chronicle Herald.

Meanwhile, I noted on Wednesday that MPs Carol Hughes and Niki Ashton were considered on the fence at the time. Ms. Hughes announced yesterday that she will indeed vote to save the registry. Can we expect some good news from Ms. Ashton?

Posted in Save the Gun Registry