Pro-gun registry side gains another NDP vote

The embattled long-gun registry received support on Monday from another New Democrat MP.

Malcolm Allen,who represents the Ontario riding of Welland, said Monday he will join three other NDP colleagues in switching their votes when Tory backbencher Candice Hoeppner's private member's bill to repeal the registry comes to a vote in Parliament.

Allen told reporters at the NDP caucus meetingin Regina that people in his riding have told him they want to keep the registry.

While the NDP were discussing the issue duringthe second ofthree days of meetings, the Conservatives launched a series of adson Mondaytargeting both Liberals and New Democrats who voted in the past to scrap the registry.

But with theLiberals and the Bloc Quebecoispoised to vote on Sept. 22 to halt Hoeppner's bill, and the Conservatives set to vote the other way, thefate of the registrylies with the NDP.

SixNDP MPs who previously voted in favour of Hoeppner's bill havesaid they will not change their vote to scrap the registry.

Allen's switch brings thenumber of MPswho have declared their support or opposition toHoeppner's bill to a 151-151 tie.

Manitoba NDP MP Niki Ashton (Churchill)has yet to indicate how she will vote. And NDP MP Carol Hughes (Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing),has said she will not vote to scrap Hoeppner's bill on Sept. 22, but wouldn't say what side she would chooseif the bill reaches a voteon third reading.

Layton seeks compromise

NDP Leader Jack Layton, who is allowing MPs to vote as they choose, said he hopes a compromise can be reached that will bring about changes to the registry without seeing it scrapped.

"Let's see if we can't have a registry that functions well, that people feel they can participate in without feeling like a criminal, and then police will have the public safety tool they need," Layton said Sunday, at the start of the caucus meeting.

Laytonhassuggested his party could introduce legislation in the House to make a first-time failure to register a firearm a non-criminal ticketing offence and to waive fees for new licences. The proposed legislation would respect aboriginal treaty rights and allow municipalities to ban handguns, he has said.

NDP in losing position over registry: pollster

Pollster Nik Nanos of Nanos research said whatever the NDP decides, the party isin a losing position with voters. He said supporters in urban centrescould bedismayed by the push to scrap the registry, and could move to support the Liberals. NDP supporters in the West are more likely to want to see the registry gone, and may move over to the Conservatives.

"I think Jack Layton is going to lose, regardless," Nanos said.

But NDPMP Joe Comartin (Windsor) said he doesn't believe it will be that easy to uproot New Democrats over the issue.

"Every analysis is that this is a vote determiner for less than one per cent of the voting public and that doesn't have enough of an impact, I don't think, in any of our ridings," he said."Every one of our ridings were won by more than one per cent."

In the most recent vote on Hoeppner's bill during the last parliamentary session, 12 NDP MPs joined eightLiberalsandall 144 Conservatives to ensure itpassed a second reading 164 to 137.

The situation will change somewhat for the Sept. 22 voteon a Liberal motioncalling onthe House to no longer consider Hoeppner's bill. Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff has called for a whipped vote, and the party says all 77 Liberals will vote to kill the bill.