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OTTAWA - Conservatives and Liberals may huff and puff, but the gun registry controversy won't blow down the NDP, party MPs insist.
Even with a glaring divide among New Democrats over the registry, the party is putting the issue in the spotlight at their strategy meetings in Regina this weekend.
Their first event is a memorial service for a fallen RCMP officer, and the second is a fundraiser deep in the Tory territory of Moose Jaw, Sask.
The registry will also be one of a handful of priorities to be discussed over three days of meetings starting Sunday, said Brad Lavigne, NDP national director.
"Stephen Harper sees rural Canadians as no more than gun-toting rural people whose interests start and stop with guns," Lavigne said.
"(NDP Leader) Jack Layton wants to show rural Canadians that we are the ones who understand that issues facing rural Canada go far beyond."
MP Joe Comartin, who is managing the party's policy options around the registry, said it was decided long ago that the issue was not going to turn into an internecine war.
"I've been quite proud about how disciplined we have been," he said. "None of our people have gone offside; they have held their ground, both in public and in caucus."
Colleague Peter Stoffer said the caucus has never been more united.
"The social democratic values and principles that we hold are still there and they will always be there, and this is what makes our party strong," he said.
"Every single one of us are united, every single one of us are united behind the leader."
A Tory private member's bill to abolish the registry passed second reading by a vote of 164 to 137, thanks to the support of twelve NDP and eight Liberal MPs.
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff has declared that all of his MPs must follow party policy in support of the registry in the next round of voting Sept. 22. But Layton is allowing a free vote.
Two of the 12 New Democrats who voted in favour of the bill to kill the registry have now backtracked and say they'll side with Layton and his pitch for reforms.
Fears abound that a vote to kill the registry is a political move that will come back to hurt the party at the ballot box, as urban voters who favour the registry may hold the NDP responsible.
On the other side, rural MPs who vote in favour of the registry could lose their seats come election time.
It's a lose-lose situation for Layton, said Robin Sears, the former national director of the NDP.
"If he were to force some unwilling MPs to vote with the rest of the caucus there would be consequences to that, if the registry is defeated there will be consequences to that," Sears said.
"I think he's handling the political life that he's in as well as could be expected but I think it's a painful situation for him."
Layton is not expected to stand up in the Regina meetings and make a final pitch to convince the other MPs to change their votes. But hallway chats and barroom pitches may see others individually come around over the three days of talks.
New Democrat MP Don Davies represents the urban B.C. riding of Vancouver-Kingsway, which has seen its share of gun-related battles over the last few years.He supports keeping the registry and said the idea that the way his caucus colleagues vote could hurt him at the ballot box crossed his mind. But he rejected it.
"It's just nonsense. That's just political rhetorical spin. Are the Liberals responsible for the last two years of government policies? Because they've supported the Conservatives every time but one."
Party MPs are attempting to frame the gun registry debate in the same terms as the same-sex marriage argument — an issue that polarized politicians and Canadians but eventually dropped off the political radar.
"The gun registry will have a vote and then that will be it," said Stoffer, who wants to see the registry scrapped.
"Whether the registry stays or whether it goes, the system of how we do gun control in this country will still be debated in many circles around this country. But the reality is there are still important issues facing the country which are extremely relevant."
MPs want to see the political dialogue in Ottawa shift toward a debate on the environment, pensions and job creation, issues they say are more top-of-mind at the ballot box.
While he's credited as the leader who resuscitated the fortunes of the NDP, Layton now helms a caucus in a bit of a rut. The party can't seem to break through the 20 per cent support barrier.
Comartin said he doesn't think that means the party is in need of radical change.
"We have to continue the route we're following to keep trying to get that message out that we've got the proper leadership in place in our party and the policies."
