Bullet dodged...Conservative majority. Good-bye gun registry.

[bellevuebully]

Good-bye gun registry.

[YukonCornelius]

Fill me in please.

[freespirit]

well, well...that is good news...if he actually does it. unfortunately the down side is we still have harper running the show...

personally the wife and i voted for the CAP. i knew they wouldn't win, but they were the only party i could vote for with a clear conscience.

[freespirit]

Fill me in please.


we just had an election today in canada...

one of harper's big campaign promises was to scrap the long gun registry in canada...which is a great idea, but i'll believe it when i see it...i don't trust the bastard! lol

[ximmy]

Canadian news?

[bellevuebully]

The Conservatives have had the abolishment of the gun registry as a part of their platform for years. Unfortunately, although they were the one's leading the fed gov., they never were able to scrap it because they have been a 'minority' government. Essentially (and I am no poli sci expert), now that they have won enough seats for a 'majority' gov, they don't need to solicite votes from opposing parties to pass legislation if they can muster up enough support from their own seats in parliment.

The Liberals brought in the gun registry under a majority government after the slaying of 17(?) women at Montreal's Polytechnique institute. That was, with absolutely no offense to the victims or their families, a liberal opportunist's pot of gold. The initial cost to set up the registry was proposed at 2 million, and ended up costing around 2 billion.....approx. 1036% overbudget. Way to go, guys! Only the gov could get away with that. Probably most went to freinds of the gov., no doubt.

With Canada's vast geographical demographic being rural, there has always been an unrepresented minority (in #'s only) who have voiced loudly that they were against a long-gun registry. Even police services in Canada have been split on this issue, as to whether or not it has any merit. Obviously, the big city political police beurocrats with large urban constituants are for it, but that is because they are more politician than they are police.

The Conservative's have always said they wanted to scrap it and here is their chance. We'll see if it happens. I think the fallout for Harper would be too great if he reneg'ed on it at this point.

I knew not registering any of my firearms would pay off eventually! ;D

[bellevuebully]

well, well...that is good news...if he actually does it. unfortunately the down side is we still have harper running the show...

personally the wife and i voted for the CAP. i knew they wouldn't win, but they were the only party i could vote for with a clear conscience.


I would vote CAP, but my idealism has been worn wafer thin over the years. With the big push from the NDP to get out young voters, I knew a CAP vote was a wasted vote essentially. My biggest fear was having Layton as PM. I think he is a relative of Stalin.

Unfortunately, that is how the voting here is. Vote for the leper with the most fingers.

[freespirit]

here's the "reader's digest" version of what transpired at the polls...

OTTAWA - Stephen Harper sealed his place in the history books Monday night by winning a large Conservative majority to ensure four uninterrupted years of power and a seat in the Tory pantheon.

Harper joins Canada's first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, and 1950s-era Tory leader John Diefenbaker as just the third Conservative ever to win three consecutive elections.

He did it with a two-note campaign focused on Canada's relative economic success in a global economy battered by deep recession, and with dire warnings of instability under any minority scenario.

Aided by an ascendant NDP that helped split the vote, Harper won his first majority after two successive minority governments that many pundits and pollsters wrongly believed marked a glass ceiling for the former Reform party founder.

And he won despite a growing list of abuses of Canada's democratic institutions — including a historic defeat on a contempt-of-Parliament vote to trigger the election — that Conservatives dismissed as just so much partisan noise.

The New Democrats rode a mid-campaign surge of support to an orange revolution of sorts, becoming Canada's official Opposition for the first time and almost tripling their seat count.

In the process, Harper and NDP Leader Jack Layton also served up a pair of historic defeats.

Michael Ignatieff's Liberals, once known as Canada's"natural governing party," tumbled to third place in the seat standings behind the NDP with their worst showing since Confederation.

And Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe, whose own seat appeared in jeopardy, saw his party reduced to a small regional rump — the first time since 1993 that the separatist party hasn't claimed at least half Quebec's 75 seats.

Ignatieff and Duceppe's humiliations were complete.

Ignatieff, the acclaimed international academic, lost his own Toronto seat — and with it the future leadership of the Liberals.

Duceppe, the face of the Bloc for a generation, also went down to personal defeat, another historic redrawing of Canada's electoral map.

Neither Ignatieff nor Duceppe will be around when Canadians next go to the polls in October 2015 under Harper's fixed election date law.

What most public opinion polls had suggested would be a nail-biter of an election was over by the time it hit Ontario's western border. The Conservatives appeared poised to claim more than 40 per cent of the popular vote — a big jump for a party that consistently polled in the mid-30s during five years of minority government.

The rise in NDP fortunes contributed to vote splits favouring the Tories, especially in Ontario where the Liberals were decimated in their last national stronghold.

The Conservative run started in Atlantic Canada, where the Tories overtook the Liberals in the popular vote and added three of the 12 additional seats needed to ensure solid control of Parliament.

The Liberals emerged from the Maritimes scarred but alive, having dropped two seats to the New Democrats and three to the Conservatives. The Tories picked up one seat by a razor-thin margin in Newfoundland and Labrador after being shut out in the last election.

Nationally, the Conservatives had 40 per cent of the vote, compared to 31 per cent for the NDP and a dismal 19 per cent for the Liberals.

A fractious campaign that began slowly in the last week of March turned into a ground-churning, two-horse race to the finish.

Ignatieff, the subject of more than a year of negative Conservative advertising going into the 36-day race, proved to be a game campaigner, but his anti-Harper call for change appeared to benefit Layton.

The NDP surged to unprecedented levels in Quebec after the leaders' debate and appeared to gain momentum across Canada in the last two weeks of the campaign.

In the British Columbia riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands, Green party Leader Elizabeth May appeared poised to defeat Tory cabinet minister Gary Lunn.

May focused virtually her entire campaign on the riding in her attempt to gain a voice inside the House of Commons.

Depending largely on those vote splits, the Conservatives appeared to be on the cusp of their first majority since Harper initially took power in January 2006.

Just 58.8 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot in the 2008 federal election, the lowest in Canadian history.

However, voters turned out in record numbers for early balloting on Easter weekend, leading some to speculate that an election derided as unnecessary by the governing Conservatives has generated amply public interest.

[Son-of-Liberty]

Yeah I am also skeptical that Harper will for fill that promise. Guess we will see.

Don't vote myself but might have considered it had a Canadian Action Party ran a candidate in my riding. I will not vote for the lessor of two evils that is just silly. However I am glad it wasn't liberals that got majority.

[bellevuebully]

Yeah I am also skeptical that Harper will for fill that promise. Guess we will see.

Don't vote myself but might have considered it had a Canadian Action Party ran a candidate in my riding. I will not vote for the lessor of two evils that is just silly. However I am glad it wasn't liberals that got majority.


Can you honestly say that if your vote was the deciding vote, you would rather see an extremist leftist party gain power than to provide a 'stopper' vote to a less-than-ideal candidate?

[freespirit]

for myself, i knew i was voting for a party that didn't even get any mention in the MSM, but i believe it makes a difference nonetheless, if only as a means of generating party support for the next election. this is not a game that will be won in a couple of moves. i really hope harper follows through with scrapping the registry though. that will be a happy day fer sure!

maybe when that happens, we should all hit the range to celebrate!

[ShortJohnSilver]

The Liberals brought in the gun registry under a majority government after the slaying of 17(?) women at Montreal's Polytechnique institute. That was, with absolutely no offense to the victims or their families, a liberal opportunist's pot of gold. The initial cost to set up the registry was proposed at 2 million, and ended up costing around 2 billion.....approx. 1036% overbudget. Way to go, guys! Only the gov could get away with that. Probably most went to freinds of the gov., no doubt.



And there is "the rest of the story" - the guy who all the papers identified as "Marc Lepine" (the French-Canadian equivalent of John Brown) was NOT French, he was actually "born Gamil Rodrigue Liass Gharbi, in Montreal, the son of a Canadian nurse and an Algerian-born businessman" ... something that in all the years of Canadian news coverage of the event, I didn't learn, until the advent of the Internet.

So basically due to a screwed up half-Algerian kid, all Canadian men were tarred with the same brush.

[bellevuebully]

The Liberals brought in the gun registry under a majority government after the slaying of 17(?) women at Montreal's Polytechnique institute. That was, with absolutely no offense to the victims or their families, a liberal opportunist's pot of gold. The initial cost to set up the registry was proposed at 2 million, and ended up costing around 2 billion.....approx. 1036% overbudget. Way to go, guys! Only the gov could get away with that. Probably most went to freinds of the gov., no doubt.



And there is "the rest of the story" - the guy who all the papers identified as "Marc Lepine" (the French-Canadian equivalent of John Brown) was NOT French, he was actually "born Gamil Rodrigue Liass Gharbi, in Montreal, the son of a Canadian nurse and an Algerian-born businessman" ... something that in all the years of Canadian news coverage of the event, I didn't learn, until the advent of the Internet.

So basically due to a screwed up half-Algerian kid, all Canadian men were tarred with the same brush.


If this thing gets scrapped, it would be an interesting exercise to look at how many deaths per long gun there were since the registry, calculate the difference and divide that into the total cost to the taxpayer to operate this thing. I know the argument will be...(uhhhh, I almost hate to say it)....'if one death was prevented, it was all worth it'. Well, towards one being in opposition to that shallow viewpoint, someone would also say...'well if it was someone in your family that died, you would think that way'. My answer to all those folks who have lost loved ones, may God grant them peace in their sorrow, is that they should be fighting to have guns placed back into society through the hands of law abiding and deserving citizens (Sorry Katwomen et al....no guns for time served).

I know for the most part I am preaching to the choir here, but let me say this to all of you in the USA on this forum:

Legislation happens very quickly. Don't take for granted the amazing situation you have in the Republic. You can argue (and in a lot of ways rightfully so), that the Republic is a facade, but be mindful that it is the best thing at the peoples' disposal on this rock. Make sure you know where you're elected officials stand on this issue and make them take action to secure it. If this goes through, use it to exemplify the possibilities. We in Canada will be VERY fortunate to have been blessed with a second chance if this happens. Second chances don't happen very often.

[Awoke]

I refused to buy into the sale pitch. I don't believe they will abolish the gun registry, and even if they do, that will not include handguns, just long guns. Let's not forget that Bush told everyone is was a Christian, and Obama told everyone he would bring the troops home.

Also I refused to support a party that has multiple BBG members.

I voted Canadian Action Party for Canada's sovereignity.

[Son-of-Liberty]

Yeah I am also skeptical that Harper will for fill that promise. Guess we will see.

Don't vote myself but might have considered it had a Canadian Action Party ran a candidate in my riding. I will not vote for the lessor of two evils that is just silly. However I am glad it wasn't liberals that got majority.


Can you honestly say that if your vote was the deciding vote, you would rather see an extremist leftist party gain power than to provide a 'stopper' vote to a less-than-ideal candidate?


Maybe in that situation I would consider it but even then I would have a moral problem with the decision. I knew the conservatives were going to take it in my riding anyway. The problem I have with that mentality is that it tends to support the existing 2-3 globalist controlled parties that already have the majority of support. Newer parties and independents have no chance to gain traction because most people are stuck deciding which of the two parties they hate less. If people started voting for who they they wanted rather then trying to block parties they despised we might actually see some real change in Canada.

I haven't voted for 5-6 years, last time was a provincial election and I wanted to vote for the wild rose party but when I showed up at the polling station they weren't on the ballot. Ended up voting conservative and have regretted it ever since. They haven't done a damn thing good for Alberta since Klein gave up leadership and they put Alberta right back into debt first chance they got.

[Ash_Williams]

The Liberals handed that one to them.

I almost voted conservative myself simply because I'm tired of the BS that keeps coming up. Threats of elections, threats of coalitions, blah blah blah. The Liberals got punished for the teenybopper drama and their piss-poor choice of leaders.

[Awoke]

Newer parties and independents have no chance to gain traction because most people are stuck deciding which of the two parties they hate less. If people started voting for who they they wanted rather then trying to block parties they despised we might actually see some real change in Canada.



Quoted for truth. Thank you.




I haven't voted for 5-6 years, last time was a provincial election and I wanted to vote for the wild rose party but when I showed up at the polling station they weren't on the ballot. Ended up voting conservative and have regretted it ever since. They haven't done a damn thing good for Alberta since Klein gave up leadership and they put Alberta right back into debt first chance they got.


I vote every election, but I spoil my ballot by scratching all the selections. This year was different because CAP was on the ballot, so I voted for them.

[keehah]

Did not vote, my riding votes NDP so I did not need to vote against the self described Zionist dupe, no CAP cadidate to vote for, the only sane person was from the Pirate Party

Now I'd prefer to be ruled by ignorant Russian Nobility via Harvard than a Zionist dupe, but I had to chuckle that this report: cbc (http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/story/2011/05/03/cv-election-weston-majority.html)

The CBC makes a case the liberals are doomed because the free government money they apparently live on like a vampire sucking from the Canadian taxpayer may slow to a trickle. ::)

This of course is the fear of the CBC of course. Unfounded I think. Keeping the masses ignorant and dull is required by Globalists and Zionists of all parties.


The Conservatives have made a good start on obliterating the Liberals, reducing them to an historic third-place standing in Parliament in Monday’s election.

That alone puts the Grits perilously close to a death spiral.

The Liberals immediately lose the millions of dollars in cash, personnel and other perks that went with their being the official Opposition.

One of those advantages is prominence in the daily Commons question period which, despite its dubious value to ordinary Canadians, offers politically valuable daily television exposure.

Finally, if Harper is determined to drive a spike through the heart of Gritdom, he will use his majority in parliament to end public financing of political parties.

Out of money and out of sight in a majority Conservative Parliament, the Liberals will be struggling just to survive to the next election.

[Ash_Williams]

I voted Ind. There was no one good on the ballot.

No CAP here but they sound too socialist for my tastes anyway, I'd like to see a small govt option on the ballot. 7 parties on there and they were all big govt. Like having a choice of 7 different guns to shoot yourself with.

[Awoke]

I voted Ind. There was no one good on the ballot.

No CAP here but they sound too socialist for my tastes anyway, I'd like to see a small govt option on the ballot. 7 parties on there and they were all big govt. Like having a choice of 7 different guns to shoot yourself with.


How can they possibly sound more socialist than the Reds and Blues we have been dealing with for the last 40 years? What do you think the Liberals and Conservatives are? What do you think Canada is? (Besides a parliamentary monarchy)

They recognize the SPP, the NAU, the threat of globalization and the erosion of Canada's sovereignity, etc.
They want to abolist TILMA, NAFTA and a whole bunch of other trade agreements. They recognise the conspiracy, know Monsanto and big pharma and all the rest is all a lie.

I am not trying to convince you of anything, just sayin...

[Ash_Williams]

I'm not saying they are more socialist than the big parties, just that they are socialist.

I don't want to vote for the least socialist of 7 or 8 socialist parties. It's still a vote for socialism.

I want to vote for the most anti-socialist, anti-big-govt party there is.
Not because they'll win.
Not because I even feel it's necessary to go that far.
Only because people need to be able to mark an X to say to every party "stop going the way you are going... turn around... you've gone too far... I would prefer no government to your government."

Voting for a slightly less socialist party is like telling your MP you want a 0.5% reduction in your income taxes. He'll figure if that's all you want then you must be pretty satisfied as it is... might as well leave things the way they are... heck the rate probably could go up and no one would mind. You have to demand your income tax is chopped in half, or to zero, before he'll realize you're not happy.

Take the gun registry. If no party on the ballot, even the fringe CAP, promises to get rid of the hand gun registry, then there is absolutely reason for the CPC to promise this. Having no choice on the ballot for eliminating the gun registry means the CPC will not lose votes to the person promising to eliminate it which means they have no reason to consider a similar promise. Having no one on the ballot against socialism or big govt means the CPC have no reason to talk about shrinking govt.

[keehah]

I'll predict Harper will find a new reason to claim his hands are tied. For example due to 'unexpect circumstances' after selling out the county's sovereignty.

Expect any future new legislation to be harmonized with that of the regime occupying Washington.

Americans get used to registering anything but your shot gun and 22 rifles and some other deer pluckers.

It will be much harder to get a licence to be able to own any gun.

No CAP in my riding but I actually talked to the Pirate Party candidate.

While not a delusional child like the rest appear, not whole enough of a party platform to start me voting again.

I may have voted if I felt the NDP needed help over the Conservatives. To vote against Harper and the top two controlled parties.

[Awoke]

I want to vote for the most anti-socialist, anti-big-govt party there is.
Not because they'll win.
Not because I even feel it's necessary to go that far.
Only because people need to be able to mark an X to say to every party "stop going the way you are going... turn around... you've gone too far... I would prefer no government to your government."


Well Ash, that party doesn't exist.

CAP want to abolish a lot of things that I want to see abolished, and that is good enough for me to cast a vote in their favor instead of spoiling my ballot like I usually do.

EDITed because I called Ash Ares by mistake.

[Son-of-Liberty]

There is a Libertarian Party of Canada. They would probably be my first choice. CAP is pretty good too, they are socialist, which sucks but at least aware of the NWO and in favor of step to protect Canada.

[osoab]

Did not vote, my riding votes NDP so I did not need to vote against the self described Zionist dupe, no CAP cadidate to vote for, the only sane person was from the Pirate Party

Now I'd prefer to be ruled by ignorant Russian Nobility via Harvard than a Zionist dupe, but I had to chuckle that this report: cbc (http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/story/2011/05/03/cv-election-weston-majority.html)

The CBC makes a case the liberals are doomed because the free government money they apparently live on like a vampire sucking from the Canadian taxpayer may slow to a trickle. ::)

This of course is the fear of the CBC of course. Unfounded I think. Keeping the masses ignorant and dull is required by Globalists and Zionists of all parties.




You have a Pirate Party? Kick ass.

[Awoke]

Arrrrrrrrr!

[Ash_Williams]

Arrrrrrrrr!

I was so hoping it would turn out to be a bunch of guys dressed up with the eyepatches and stupid parrots on their shoulders.

Turned out to be guys wanting to reform copyright. I woulda voted for them if they were on the ballot.

Libertarian would have been my #1 choice.

Scratch that.. Libertarians dressed as pirates would be my #1 choice.

[Son-of-Liberty]

Not one seat went to independents or some of the smaller pro freedom parties. One seat to the greens, 4 to the BQ. The rest went to the big three globalist controlled parties. The strategy of convincing people they need to pick the party out of the big three they hate the least is working perfectly. Despite people getting burned every time by these parties they just will not finally vote for independents or one of the small parties.

Imagine the chaos and loss of control to the globalists if everyone voted for a party other then the 3 that keep giving them the shaft.

[steyr_m]

I refused to buy into the sale pitch. I don't believe they will abolish the gun registry, and even if they do, that will not include handguns, just long guns. Let's not forget that Bush told everyone is was a Christian, and Obama told everyone he would bring the troops home.

Also I refused to support a party that has multiple BBG members.

I voted Canadian Action Party for Canada's sovereignity.


Good for you, I never have even heard of Canadian Action Party [I should read up on them]. I would be most likely to vote for the Social Credit Party if there was one in my Riding.

I think the long-gun registry is gone. I'm sure of it. When it happens, I'll be advocating to my MP for removal of many of the prohibited weapons [from the prohib list] i.e. the H&K G3 (and variants), the AK (and variants), and others on that stupid list. I also want to remove any long-gun as being a restricted weapon. The handgun registry is here to stay for now. I'm only looking at the small gains for the moment.

Are you on CGN [ http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/ ] , Awoke?

[Son-of-Liberty]

Are you on CGN [ http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/ ] , Awoke?


I am but visit very infrequently. Thorgrim on CGN.

[bellevuebully]

Imagine the chaos and loss of control to the globalists if everyone voted for a party other then the 3 that keep giving them the shaft.


I appreciate your idealism, but can you explain to me how that would work? I am only asking because your statement implies that the 'other' parties are out of the reach of the globalists. Don't get me wrong. I'm by no means defending politics, let alone the 3 offending 'shafters'. My point is that any party that gains political influence in this game get drafted by team shafter in a matter of time.....it's the way this world operates. I'd appreciate your views on the above question though.

[Awoke]

Awoke is not on CGN, Steyr.

You should read up on CAP. Go to canadianactionparty.ca and check out their platform. I still have more reading to do on them, since Ash brought it to my attention that they are socialist.
I also plan on researching the Canadian Libertarian party as well, which I never knew existed.

[Son-of-Liberty]

Imagine the chaos and loss of control to the globalists if everyone voted for a party other then the 3 that keep giving them the shaft.


I appreciate your idealism, but can you explain to me how that would work? I am only asking because your statement implies that the 'other' parties are out of the reach of the globalists. Don't get me wrong. I'm by no means defending politics, let alone the 3 offending 'shafters'. My point is that any party that gains political influence in this game get drafted by team shafter in a matter of time.....it's the way this world operates. I'd appreciate your views on the above question though.



It's not that the other parties are immune from the globalists but for the first few years they were in at least they would not be under their control. In that time their would be chaos and loss of control for the globalists. Their might even be a chance for a party that is aware of the NWO agenda and for the people to become the dominant party. It takes years, maybe decades for the globalists to completely take over a party. If you join one of the established parties and you don't go with the party line they will find a way to replace you or at the very least you will never be in a real power position like minister of finance. You are also generally told how to vote by the party leaders on each piece of legislation.

Now if it was all small parties and independents they would actually vote according to their promises and constituents wishes, they would not be back in next election if they didn't and nobody would be voting for them as a blocker vote like happens all the time now.

The whole system is rigged at this point with parties getting funding directly from the government based on the number of seats they hold. If you never hold a seat you never get funding. The news will not include you in any debates to inject real issues and expose the criminality of the current system. Even the Greens who I am not supportive of and may already be compromised don't get any air time in the debates it's sickening.

[bellevuebully]

Imagine the chaos and loss of control to the globalists if everyone voted for a party other then the 3 that keep giving them the shaft.


I appreciate your idealism, but can you explain to me how that would work? I am only asking because your statement implies that the 'other' parties are out of the reach of the globalists. Don't get me wrong. I'm by no means defending politics, let alone the 3 offending 'shafters'. My point is that any party that gains political influence in this game get drafted by team shafter in a matter of time.....it's the way this world operates. I'd appreciate your views on the above question though.



It's not that the other parties are immune from the globalists but for the first few years they were in at least they would not be under their control. In that time their would be chaos and loss of control for the globalists. Their might even be a chance for a party that is aware of the NWO agenda and for the people to become the dominant party. It takes years, maybe decades for the globalists to completely take over a party. If you join one of the established parties and you don't go with the party line they will find a way to replace you or at the very least you will never be in a real power position like minister of finance. You are also generally told how to vote by the party leaders on each piece of legislation.

Now if it was all small parties and independents they would actually vote according to their promises and constituents wishes, they would not be back in next election if they didn't and nobody would be voting for them as a blocker vote like happens all the time now.

The whole system is rigged at this point with parties getting funding directly from the government based on the number of seats they hold. If you never hold a seat you never get funding. The news will not include you in any debates to inject real issues and expose the criminality of the current system. Even the Greens who I am not supportive of and may already be compromised don't get any air time in the debates it's sickening.


Respectfully, what you've explained is highly speculative and based on your own perspective and not in fact. Not meant as a personal slam, but most of what you wrote is supposition.

What is not supposition is that most people (myself included) are highly disconnected from the political system and that is why the few rule the many. You brought up the issue of constituancy. I would venture to suppose that most of the people mp's deal with are people they have dealt with in the past because the circle of politically active people is relatively small. If it were not, these mp's would be faced with the same ultimatum.....do what we want, or you are unemployed....only the threat would be made good from the constituancy, not the party. They have to live in the communities they are representing. How do you think they would respond if they thought betrayal of their constituents would result in a social lynching?

The problem is that politicians feel comfortable towing the party line because they know there will be very little local blowback.

[keehah]

American tourists busted for Winnebago gun arsenal at B.C. border (http://www.vancouversun.com/travel/American+tourists+busted+Winnebago+arsenal+border/5141383/story.html)
VANCOUVER SUN JULY 22, 2011

The Canada Border Services Agency said that when officers searched their 2008 Winnebago after they said they had nothing to declare, the officers found a derringer-type pistol, a cowboy-style revolver, three semi-automatic pistols and a shotgun.

“The travellers did not declare any firearms during the primary examination but firearms were discovered in the vehicle during a secondary examination,” said CBSA official Stefanie Wudel.

The incident was just one of a number of recent cases in which Americans have had weapons seized and face accusations of failing to declare them upon entering Canada.

Vancouver lawyer Joel Whysall, who represents the pair, said the men are both retired and have no criminal records.

“These are people who have never been in trouble in their lives and they spent five days in the North Surrey Pre-Trial Centre with hardened criminals and drug addicts,” Whysall said.

“They were completely besides themselves and it took their wives five days to raise bail to get them out.”

The two were charged with a number of offences, including smuggling and possession of loaded, prohibited weapons, which carries a three-year minimum sentence.

“That charge is the major concern,” Whysall said. “It’s one of [Prime Minister Stephen] Harper’s minimum sentencing provisions..