Ryan Leef says Larry Bagnell can't be trusted on long-gun registry

Yukon conservative candidate Ryan Leefhammered the message during the 2011 election campaign, and he's doing it again this time around: telling Yukoners that Liberal Larry Bagnell can't be trusted when it comes to the long-gun registry.

"Larry said once that he would vote to get rid of it, and he lied," Leefsaid. "Now he's saying that he wouldn't bring it back or the Liberal party wouldn't bring it back.It's not credible."

Bagnell has been an outspoken critic of the long-gun registry, whichwas first introduced by the Liberal government in 1993. But in 2010, asMP for Yukon, Bagnellvoted with his party to keep the registry in place.

"Some people were understandably upset about that and I certainly realize that," Bagnell said.

He says his decision then was guided by party discipline. Bagnell did not wantto be ousted from the Liberal party caucus.

"If you're not in caucus, you can't really help your constituents on a whole bunch of other files. So it was that trade off."

That trade off may have kept Bagnell in the Liberal caucus, but it also likely cost himsome votesin the 2011 federal election. In 2012, the Conservative government fulfilledits campaign promise to scrap the registry.

Bagnellsays despite what Leef asserts, his party would not bring it back. "A categorical 'no'," he said. Liberal leader Justin Trudeau has also recentlystated that he would not bring back a long-gun registry.

Leef's campaign advertising suggests otherwise, telling Yukonersthat Leef is the only local candidate who will oppose a reinstated registry.

"If Larry Bagnellcomes back, a long-gun registry comes back," a Leefflyer reads.

Yukon NDP candidate Melissa Atkinson says her party also opposes a long-gun registry. The Green Party platform says it supports a reformedregistry.