OTTAWA - Federal and provincial justice ministers will consider a proposal next month to sue U.S. gun manufacturers as part of a plan to stem the flow of illegal handguns across the border, federal Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said yesterday.
Oh, great. This is the same braintrust that hit upon the idea of suing Canadian tobacco manufacturers in US courts, a tactic so novel that it was laughed out of every court they tried it in. Not before it cost us millions of dollars, of course.
Earlier, Prime Minister Paul Martin indicated it was among the issues he intended to raise with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.Word that Canadian governments could sue gun makers came as a spate of weekend violence in Toronto continued, with at least two more daylight shootings in Canada's largest city.
Mr. Martin said at a news conference up to half of all gun crimes in Canada are committed by individuals using firearms that have been smuggled into the country.
He added that the U.S. has an "obligation" to get tough on gun smuggling by working more actively with Canada.
Where have I heard this huffy argument before? After 9/11, when it was thought that some of the terrorists had crossed through the Canadian border (none had). But yes, ultimate responsibility rested with US Customs. Just as it is Canada Customs' obligation to control what comes into this country.
It's bad enough you've abdicated our military responsibilities to the Americans; now you want them to perform basic border duties? (The government had to be embarrassed into providing bulletproof vests for [unarmed] Customs officers when US law enforcement agencies started donating used ones to us.)
Tell you what: how about we outsource your jobs to the Yanks? They couldn't possibly be as inept at governance as you clowns.
Cotler wanders off-message:
Mr. Cotler cautioned that the federal government cannot sue gun makers and provincial governments may have difficulty in the U.S., where President George W. Bush has sided with firearms producers when asked to comment on similar domestic court battles.
Well, duh. If your high-priced legal talent had been following the news instead of ordering up new Beemers and Savile Row suits, they might have noticed this item from just last week:
CNN:
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congress gave the gun lobby its top legislative priority Thursday, passing a bill that would protect the firearms industry from massive lawsuits brought by crime victims. The White House says President Bush will sign it into law.The House voted 283-144 to send the bill to the president after supporters, led by the National Rifle Association, proclaimed it vital to protect the industry from being bankrupted by huge jury awards.
Kinda blows a hole in your little rowboat, doesn't it? You want to combat gun violence in Toronto? Harassing farmers in Saskatchewan and duck hunters in Alberta isn't going to do it.
Waving your hands in the air and blaming the Americans isn't going to do it either; but that's exactly what you'll do. It's the Liberal Way.™