I wonder if Canadians can actually buy one of these in Canada?
Posted on 10/24/2005 2:03:44 PM PDT by proud_yank
The United States has an obligation to help work toward stemming the flow of illegal guns into this country, Prime Minister Paul Martin said Monday.
Speaking with reporters in Ottawa, Mr. Martin said the gun issue will be among those on the agenda — alongside softwood lumber and passport requirements — when he meets with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Ms. Rice is in Ottawa on Monday and Tuesday for meetings with Canadian officials. It is her first official visit to this country. A visit in April was cancelled, reportedly because of Canada's decision not to participate in the missile defence plan.
She is scheduled to meet Mr. Martin later Monday.
"The Americans ask us to do things in terms of the border, and the security at the border is important for Canada," Mr. Martin said.
While Canada is ready to work toward a secure border between the two countries, Mr. Martin said, the United States also needs to take action to ensure that illegal guns do not make their way across the border into this country.
"They are asking us to make sure that certain things don't enter their country," he said. "We feel the same way about products coming in from their country. They have a responsibility."
This country's concern about the gun trade has been highlighted by a string of highly publicized shootings in Canada's biggest city, where the number of gun-related homicides hit a record level on the weekend. So far, Toronto has seen 64 homicides this year, a record 44 of those involved guns.
Mr. Martin said Monday that discussions with law-enforcement officials across the country continue to point to the flow of illegal weapons from the United States as a key concern.
"The police associations and the chiefs of police associations are telling us that up to 50 per cent of crimes involving firearms, involve firearms that come from the United States — usually in an illegal fashion," Mr. Martin said. "Obviously we have to work together."
Among the U.S. initiatives is a security plan that will require all Canadians, by 2008, to carry passports when they enter the United States. Americans will also require passports to re-enter their country. Some legislators on both sides of the border have questioned the plan, complaining that it will interfere with trade and travel between the two countries.
Mr. Martin, who vowed when he came to office to improve relations with Washington, insisted Monday that Canada continues to enjoy a "good" relationship with the United States. He pointed to the White House's support for efforts earlier this year to reopen the U.S. border to Canadian beef imports.
"But good relations with the United States does not mean that the prime minister of the country should not defend Canada," he said.
"Good relations with the United States does not mean that the Canadian government should not look to the broader horizon when it looks to Canada's interests."
For example, he said, effort to boost trade with India and China should not be viewed as an "anti-American position."
"That says we are a major exporting nation, we will not have all of the eggs in one basket," he said.
"We will seek out markets where we can increase the value-added of whatever it is we're exporting to the maximum amount possible and we can provide Canadians to a higher standard of living."
On the softwood issue, Mr. Martin also insisted that Canada will not back down on a North American free-trade panel ruling that ordered the United States to pay back billions of dollars in duties it had collected on lumber.
"That is not negotiable," he said.
"We are not going to begin with a negotiation on a win. We won that, and we will pursue our course of action in the courts, if necessary, although we certainly should not have to."
As far as any other elements of the softwood trade dispute, Mr. Martin suggested Canada is still willing to work with the United States to reach a resolution. He added, however, that such a move would also require "a sign" from the United States that it intends to live up to its end of the NAFTA agreement.
"We will be looking for that sign," he said.
In terms of the domestic situation, Mr. Martin also said he plans to meet with NDP Leader Jack Layton later in the week but insisted the discussion won't centre on trying to line up support for the minority Liberals during the fall sitting of Parliament.
Last spring, Mr. Martin's government was able to survive a crucial confidence vote, in part because of the support of the NDP.
"This is not a question of giving or bargaining," Mr. Martin said.
"It is a question of what can we do to make Parliament work. There will be an election. Until such time as there is an election, I think what Canadians want is in fact that the Parliament work and that we make progress." Latest Comments in the Conversation
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Dan Baril from Oakville, Canada writes: "The police associations and the chiefs of police associations are telling us that up to 50 per cent of crimes involving firearms, involve firearms that come from the United States - usually in an illegal fashion..." --- Out of curiosity what about those using the guns...where do they come from and how did they get here?Or, do the answers to these types of questions lead to "profiling" which we can't do because it's politically incorrect?
Posted Oct. 24, 2005 at 2:43 PM EDT Link to Comment kris nanda from ottawa, Canada writes:
Hopefully Climate Change will come up in the discussion and the importance of weaning North Americans from their dependence on fossil fuel -- the recent spate of severe hurricanes this year are just a foretaste of what will come if the US does not take stronger action on climate change.
Posted Oct. 24, 2005 at 2:48 PM EDT Link to Comment Jennifer Forsyth from Fort Nelson, Canada writes:
I think Martin deserves a round of applause for what he is trying to accomplish. It's about time we stopped being so soft with the Americans.
Posted Oct. 24, 2005 at 2:50 PM EDT Link to Comment marjorie carey from surrey, Canada writes: So much for GUN REGISTRY,what a tax grab that is, and a big money waster and another government dept. to spend our hard earned money to supportwith big salaries and bigger pensions and severances.How many more ways can the government think of to WASTE MONEY.
Posted Oct. 24, 2005 at 2:53 PM EDT Link to Comment Morris Dancer from Toronto, Canada writes:
The US has no motivation for stemming the supply of arms into Canada...unless they were european made weapons, then they would be all over it...gotta protect your markets don't ya know.........
Well, Mister Martin, we share a 5,514 mile border. What do you suggest?
Let’s see. John Rice, Condi’s father, armed himself with a shotgun and participated in neighborhood patrols during the early ‘60s when the KKK was terrorizing middle class blacks. For some reason, I don’t think resolving Canada’s gun control problems is going to be a priority for the Secretary of State.
I wonder if Canadians can actually buy one of these in Canada?
And I wonder why NAFTA seems to require that trucks from Mexico get to freely use highways in the US, but somehow Canada is permitted to enforce laws which reduce the demand for high-quality, US-made firearms.
Social civil war is on the horizon......
I don't know that American authorities could do anything about this even if they were inclined to. Guns aren't illegal here. What action do the Canucks expect Americans to take? I mean, are we supposed to confiscate guns from our citizens in order to prevent smuggling? It makes no sense at all to suggest that the U.S. can or should do anything about gun crimes in other countries. As for me, I'm going to be armed and I have no intention of going to Canada. There are too many Canadians there to suit me.
tofu farting!!! haha i like that one..
'Ill have a yuppie veggie burger with bean sprouts!!'
Nawwww Give me a Venison burger!! I take a sausage, peppers, and onions too!
These pissy pants liberals aint touching my guns! no dang way! They can all go to hell in a hand basket. Commie slobs.
Here the Canadians admit that the US is doing every bit as good a job as they are since at least 50% are from Canada and not the US.
"Nawwww Give me a Venison burger!! "
Funny you should mention it, just got back from Wyoming with 80# of Venison. Come on over!
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