(OTTAWA – June 3, 2010) Mark Holland, M.P. (Ajax-Pickering) astounded government committee members when he presented a motion to return Private Members' Bill C-391 to the House of Commons with a recommendation to reject the legislation that would scrap the long-gun registry.

In late May, the federal Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security heard 33 witnesses over two weeks with widely dissenting opinions on the efficacy of the registry. Police officers countered each other with opposing views on the registry's value as a public safety tool, and other witnesses provided strong opinions on both sides of the debate. Rather than evaluate Bill C-391 clause-by-clause according to the committee's preset agenda, Holland wants the bill returned stillborn to the House.

"Now that Parliament finally has both sides of the debate on the record, this Liberal M.P. wants to throw that hard work out the window," says Tony Bernardo, executive director of the Canadian Institute for Legislative Action, who appeared as an expert witness before the committee. "He wants to completely ignore the testimony of 33 witnesses. This is an insult to Canadians who believe in the democratic process. Mr. Holland's hidden agenda is a danger to parliamentary fairness. The support of a few police chiefs has somehow intoxicated him with power."

Conservative M.P.s on the committee pounced on Holland's motion that would send the bill back to the House with a recommendation that it should not proceed. The Conservative members noted that convincing testimony from anti-registry witnesses proves that clause-by-clause examination of the bill is justified. Parliament's rules dictate that the bill could not be altered significantly because the basic intent cannot be changed.

"This M.P. has abandoned of a large portion of his constituents," says Bernardo, a lifelong resident of Durham Region. "Mr. Holland is playing with fire with an election looming, and we're going to make sure he feels all kinds of heat here at home. His cavalier attitude has even cost the shooting competition portion of the Commonwealth Games planned for Ajax. Since they relocated elsewhere, Mr. Holland can kiss off millions of dollars that would have gone to local businesses. Isn't that exactly the opposite of an MP's mandate?

"The Liberals are willing to do whatever they can to keep the wasteful long-gun registry in place, even though polls show the vast majority of Canadians want it scrapped," states Canadian Shooting Sports Association Executive Director, Larry Whitmore. "Mr. Holland is the Liberal point man on this issue and he should hang his head in shame to belong to a party that's forcing its M.P.s to vote as a bloc against this private members bill. He knows whipping this bill is wrong, and he knows a few police chiefs want the registry for all the wrong reasons. It's time this riding had an M.P. who does what the people want, not what a misinformed party dictates."

There is speculation that with the federal Liberals in disarray, and a leader who is not resonating with Canadians, the Ajax-Pickering M.P. might aspire to be the next party leader.

"Mr. Holland has been trying to ingratiate himself to the national media through his position as public safety critic," says Whitmore. "It's entirely up to him if he has plans to run the Liberal show in Ottawa, but he's trying to do it on the backs of sport shooters and hunters. That's just not fair. Our members are the most responsible and safety-conscious group in the country, and he's willing to toss us aside to feather his own nest. Sorry, but we won't stand around and allow that to happen. The next election campaign will give us a chance to show Mr. Holland we're serious."

For further information, contact:

Tony Bernardo
905-571-2150

Larry Whitmore
519-254-7744