Harper’s promise to kill gun registry could trigger additional rural seats

The federal long-gun registry, long a thorn in the side of many rural Canadians and hunters, is back on the Conservative policy agenda, not that it ever really left.

Tory leader Stephen Harper promised again today to scrap the registry hoping to attract rural voters and erode support of a number of NDP and Liberal candidates who changed their positions during a parliamentary vote on a private members bill last September.

So, the inevitable question was tabled by a reporter in Welland, Ont. where Harper reiterated his party's position: If you win a majority government, what about other private members bills introduced concerning issues such as abortion?

Clearly, there's concern among some of the electorate that a few socially conservative members of Harper's caucus will use a majority to attempt to implement their agenda.

But is that fear valid? Harper says no.

"Our agenda is the same agenda with a majority government or a minority government," he told reporters.

And, it was no accident Harper chose Welland to make the promise. Welland NDP Malcolm Allen voted against killing the gun registry and only retained his riding in the 2008 election by a small margin, fewer than 500 votes to his Conservative rival.

The Tories hope to capitalize on this and in other vulnerable ridings as well, including several in northern Ontario. The Tories have targeted eight Liberals and six New Democrats in this campaign over their vote reversal on the gun registry.

While killing the long-gun registry has been a Conservative party plank from the outset, it's apparent in this election it could be the difference between a majority and minority government.

(CP Photo)