NEWS RELEASE

June 15, 1995                                                                                                                   For Immediate Release 

LIBERALS' ANTI-DEMOCRATIC ACTIONS PROVE CANADA NEEDS DIRECT DEMOCRACY ACT  

"The Liberal Cabinet Ministers listen to each other, but not to the people," says Breitkreuz.  

Ottawa - Garry Breitkreuz, MP for Yorkton-Melville, claims democracy took a kick in the teeth this week with the Liberals forcing time-allocation (closure) on debates with respect to three of the most controversial issues in Canada: gun control, sexual orientation and MP pensions. Breitkreuz believes government should be doing the most important things first and forcing a pre-mature end to the debates on these three issues shows just how far out of touch the Liberals are with the common sense of the common people. To prove his point Breitkreuz said, "All you need to do is look at the Liberal's anti-democratic handling of the gun control debate. Ask yourselves, is this a democratic process?"  

• Allan Rock started by saying that he thought only the police and the military should have firearms; 
• The Prime Minister agreed and declared more gun control a priority at the Liberal policy convention; 
• Allan Rock said he consulted, but few people he met with describe their meetings as consultations; 
• Allan Rock ignored what he was told and made proposals consistent with his personal beliefs; 
• Allan Rock refused all offers to debate his proposals and failed to answer letters from MPs; 
• Allan Rock ignored months of protests, hundreds of public meetings, thousands of letters and petitions; 
• Allan Rock introduced a flawed gun control bill which infringes on Charter rights and is unconstitutional; 
• The Prime Minister ignored the protests and petitions and answered MPs concerns with form letters; 
• The RCMP Commissioner refused a university request to do an independent survey of RCMP officers; 
• The Liberals forced closure during 2nd reading of Bill C-68, leaving over 30 MPs waiting to speak; 
• The Prime Minister disciplined three Liberal MPs who voted against the bill on 2nd Reading; 
• The Justice Committee refused over 300 requests to appear before the Committee; 
• 1.2 million firearm owners from Quebec were refused - Reform MP, Garry Breitkreuz represented them; 
• The Justice Committee refused to invite independent expert witnesses requested by MPs; 
• The Justice Committee received over 1200 written submissions which were never analyzed or considered; 
• The Justice Committee limited the time for public hearings denying hundreds the opportunity to be heard; 
• The Justice Committee refused to act on the clear violation of constitutional rights of Aboriginal people; 
• The Justice Committee rushed the clause-by-clause review before all amendments could be properly drafted; 
• Allan Rock ordered the bill back to the House so fast, MPs had too-little time to get amendments drafted; 
• The Liberals forced time-allocation (closure) on the debate during Report Stage of the bill; 
• Allan Rock passed amendments during Report Stage, overriding decisions by the Justice Committee; 
• The Liberals forced time-allocation (closure) on debate during 3rd and final reading of the bill; 
• The threat of discipline hangs over the heads of 9 Liberal MPs who voted against the bill at 3rd reading; 
• The Prime Minister threatened any Liberal MP who voted twice against a government bill with expulsion; 

"If Allan Rock and Prime Minister Chretien believe there is such broad public support for the bill why did they behave in such an undemocratic, heavy-handed way?" asked Breitkreuz. If Canadians had Reform's Direct Democracy Act, at least citizens could petition to have a question put on a referendum ballot during the next election."

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