Your Voice in Parliament!

March 03, 2008

The budget is balanced. Taxes have been cut. Responsible leadership in directing our nation’s finances is something Canadians have come to expect from our Conservative Government. The third Conservative budget delivered on February 26th once again exceeded expectations.

Inflation is low and stable, interest rates remain down, and unemployment is at its lowest level in 33 years. With the economy of our largest trading partner, the United States, slowing down, it is not worth the risk to experiment with an Opposition whose only plan is to offer Canadians tax increases like raising the GST. Now is not the time to be raising taxes or experimenting with untried leadership.

Waiver on Firearms Renewal Fees

Further to the Federal Government’s Budget 2008 announcement, short-term measures that would facilitate compliance and the extension of the waiver on firearms renewal fees were published on March 1, 2008. Our Government is committed to effective gun control and tackling the criminal misuse of firearms. We believe in targeting criminals, not duck hunters and farmers.

Our measures treat hunters with respect. The measures will also facilitate the ability of former license holders to come back into lawful compliance with existing requirements. Currently nearly 100,000 Possession-Only Licences (POL) have expired even though these individuals continue to own firearms. This number continues to grow. Effective gun control requires high levels of compliance. Our measures are designed to facilitate that compliance.

These measures will:

• Extend the fee waiver associated with renewing or upgrading an existing firearms license until May 16, 2009;
• Renew the amnesty which protects non-restricted firearms owners taking steps to bring themselves back into compliance (e.g. obtaining a firearms license or registration certificate) from criminal possession until May 16, 2009, and;
• Provide expired Possession-Only License (POL) holders with the opportunity to apply for a new POL after license expiry until May 16, 2009.
  

Together with my colleagues in the Conservative Government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, I remain committed to abolishing the long-gun registry. Thank-you for your continued support on this issue and your understanding that in Renfrew-Nipissing- Pembroke it is only liberals who support their hated firearms registry!

Date of the Next Federal Election

The question I hear most as I travel across the Riding is “Cheryl, do you think there will be an election called soon?” It is the intention of our Government to govern right up to the date we fixed in legislation as the date of the next election: October 2009. Libelous and defamatory comments have been made by the Liberal Party, and its Members concerning the reputation of the Prime Minister that are nothing more than an official opposition that is leaderless, directionless, and spineless.

I served with, and respected Chuck Cadman. He was an honourable man who would have been disgusted with the attack on his reputation. He was a tireless advocate for the victims of crime and would have been proud of our government’s Tackling Violent Crime Act.

A libel notice requiring a complete apology was delivered to the Liberal Party, its Leader, Deputy Leader and House Leader. This defamatory attack on the Prime Minister's reputation has absolutely no basis in fact. It is nothing but a desperate distraction from a Leader and Party in crisis.

As your Federal Member of Parliament, I am pleased to represent you on a variety of issues. Whether that issue is eliminating the long gun registry, promoting agriculture, international trade, AECL, the military or jobs in the working forest, I am here to serve you!

As always, if you have any concerns of a federal nature, or just want to share your views with me, please do not hesitate to contact my office.

Office contact Information: Constituency Office of Cheryl Gallant, MP, 84 Isabella St., Pembroke On. K8A 5S5 or call 732-4404. If you are long distance you may call the office toll-free at 1-866-295-7165. There is no postage required when you write your Federal Member of Parliament.