"...betrayal from the inside shall see no mercy"

Grass roots supporters from coast to coast are up in arms about a rumoured sellout over firearms issues by the Conservative party, in order to curry votes from the opposition and improve their voting base in Ontario and Quebec. CPC members can expect a firestorm in Ottawa this week from their constituents. Some of the comments from the trenches:

..."If this happens, it would be suicide for Harper. Seriously. The Liberals would get a majority government next time, and deservedly so. If the Harper government proved itself unable to stand up for this basic principle, then they would be exposed as nothing more than the same type of opportunists as the Liberals. Even worse, because at least the Liberals, NDP and Bloc are not idiots -- they know not to piss off their core supporters."

..."8 members of my family voted CPC in the last election but if we have to go Libertarian next time , we will . The majority of my gunclub feel the same way as we remember Joe "The Duck" Clark and Kim Campbell and we've heard Peter MacKay and read what the CPC rep to the UN has recently said regarding the International Small Arms Agreement.

We'll stick with the CPC until there is one sign of treachery and if they table, facilitate or enact any legislation that negatively effects us, we're gone . We won't vote for anyone who only acts like a Liberal sometimes to purchase votes in Toronto and Quebec by trading our freedom for a few more seats."

..."What is so frustrating is that Statscan, the US Department of Justice and the National Acedamy of Sciences have been collecting data for decades and to date they have not found any evidence that any gun control measure has reduced murders, accidents or suicides. Stepping on citizen's Rights and freedoms through restrictions and prohibitions has not produced and positive benefits for society. Our Charter of Rights and Freedoms says that we have the Right to own Property and we have the Right not to be arbitrarily deprived of it. If there is no evidence that taking away firearms from law abiding citizens provides society with any noticeable benefits then that would surely be a case of arbitrarily taking away property. It is outrageous that the government would consider taking away firearms from citizens when knives are responsible for injuring and killing far more people in this country. If the Government was really interested on public safety then why not start with banning all pocket and hunting knives?

...All studies based on hard numbers and unbiased stats show that it will not make a difference. Taking guns away from criminals might make a difference but taking them away from people who will not commit a crime is just ridiculous. Even the people of Quebec who traditionally hate guns do not think it will make any difference what so ever. The small group of people that Wendy Cukier has organized do not speak for the majority. Those people will not vote Conservative even if you banned every firearm in Canada. The rest of Quebec won't be swayed by a ban since they don't think it will make any difference one way of the other."

...I am told that the Government plans to ban restricted long guns.
I will not mince words. This is an error of the gravest type. Not only will you dissolve a relationship of grass roots supporters based in legal gun owners, the public will see this as "another ban" blurring the image of the party with the oppositions antics. An ill-conceived initiate such as this cost Canada further millions of tax dollars, and just like the registry - will contribute nothing to public safety.
Gun bans globally have not contributed to their nations safety and lives. Australia for example just had an article in the British Journal of Criminology admitting that their ban was a costly, futile effort without a reduction to crime.
Your minority hangs in the balance. Respecting that you need every vote possible, these ever increasing changes of policy will erode the trust you have in your core supporters.
Lastly, if this rumour is true, my own personal support of the CPC will have been damaged beyond repair. I am a good supporter, who volunteered for events, walked the street carrying placards for the party, gave hard earned money by the hundreds, plastered my lawn with giant CPC signs and lastly - trusted you to be the better party."

...If this "pending ban" is true the CPC are risking political suicide...
If they use restricted long-guns as bait and fail to bring an end to the long-gun registry, they will be wiped off the map in Western Canada."