Ever since I was sent an internal RCMP memo penned by T. G. Killam, the deputy commissioner who is responsible for the Canadian Firearms Program, telling members to keep their opinions of the registry to themselves I have begun to wonder just how deeply the RCMP is in bed with the gun control lobby.
Sadly, the more I look the more unseemly evidence of collusion I find.
Wendy Cukier is the head of the Canadian Coalition for Gun Control. A professor at Ryerson University, Ms. Cukier has managed to spin her original experience in IT into policy consulting related to firearms and small arms controls. I’ll ignore the obvious non-sequitur of an IT prof speaking to matters best left to sociologists and criminologists. Its too easy a target, forgive the pun.
Wendy’s “Coalition” is fairly hard to pin down. Over the years many groups have been, or were claimed to have been members. Perhaps that’s why the Coalition for Gun Control website doesn’t actually list any coalition members. In any case, I did find this letter, penned by Wendy and sent to the Ottawa Valley Daily Observer in which she says,
Coalition for Gun Control supporters include the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, the Canadian Public Health Association, the Canada Safety Council, the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, the victims of the Ecole Polytechnique massacre and the Dawson Gun Control Committee, the YWCA of Canada as well as over 300 provincial and local organizations who are united in opposing any efforts to water down the legislation.
Now, that’s a fairly long list. It contains the usual suspects, including the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP). The CACP, you’ll recall, received over $100,000 from CGI Group – the company with contracts for supporting the IT infrastructure of the Firearms Registry.
Another CGC frequent flier is the Canada Safety Council. Its past president, Emile Therien, has written extensively for the need for stricter gun control – in some cases copying Ms. Cukier’s letters virtually word-for-word in his submissions to the press.
So, it comes as a surprise that I find the RCMP giving the Canada Safety Council over $100,000 to help “educate” firearms owners.
According to the RCMP website. the Canada Safety Council received $55,000 on April 6, 2009.
Recipient: Canada Safety Council Location: Ottawa, Ont. Date: 2009-04-06 Value: $55,000.00 Type: Project Funding Agreement under: “contributions to the provinces and territories and to aboriginal and other communities and organizations (not for profit) for the Canadian Firearms Program”. Purpose: To cover the costs for the development of public service announcements, safety tips, news releases and print materials in support of a firearms safety public awareness campaign.
And another $55,000, in a seperate disclosure, but part of the same program:
Recipient Name: Canada Safety Council Location: Ottawa, Ont. Date: 2009-02-10 Value: $110,000.00 Type: Contribution Purpose: To cover the costs for the development of public service announcements, safety tips, news releases and print materials in support of a firearms safety public awareness campaign. Comments: Multi-year award ending in 2009- 2010. Belated disclosure – This award should have been reported as part of the 4th Quarter of 2008-2009. This entry reflects an increase of $55,000 to the value of an award previously disclosed for the 1st Quarter of 2009-2010.
It bears repeating: the RCMP has given the Canada Safety Council – which is a member of the Coalition for Gun Control, and for all intents and purposes would rather no one had guns -over $100,000 to create “firearms safety” awareness campaign.
How much of that money made it back to the CGC and Wendy Cukier? We’ll never know.
So, along with telling its own members to keep quiet on the usefulness, or uselessness, of the registry senior RCMP management has basically given money allocated to the Canadian Firearms Program to a group with close ties to the Coalition for Gun Control. The Coalition, in turn, lobbies the Federal Government for tighter gun controls, the continuation of the Firearms Registry, and increased spending on the Canadian Firearms Program.
Isn’t that convenient?
- Rafael.
You’re good, RG!!!
Nice detective work!!!!
Marcel Bauer
May 14th, 2010
You mean that lame-assed YouTube video that you or I could have produced with Movie Maker cost $110,000?
Gunowners have been the whipping boys for a treasury feeding frenzy.
cgnnightmare
May 14th, 2010
Keep digging, I think you’ll find that that lame assed video had Windy’s hands all over it.
Keep digging for more
robins111
May 16th, 2010
So now this …
“There were officers who did suffer consequences at the hands of chiefs, like Mr. Blair, who did transfer them out when they spoke out against it. That is why they are silenced today and are afraid to come forward,” said Glover.
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/816156–police-chief-insulted-by-false-accusation-by-tory-mp
your thoughts?
Rob @ dailyrasp
May 28th, 2010
From my discussion with rank and file members – especially of the RCMP – there is certainly a “you do what your told or else” message that comes down from the top. I mean, a deputy commissioner sent a memo to ALL commanding officers telling them to keep their opinions to themselves, and to pass that on to their staff. What do you think would happen if one of those members spoke out? I’d suspect smaller organizations, like the Toronto Police Service, the London Police Service, etc. would face even more pressure.
Of course, Chief Blair can act insulted – even though Glover is right – because he knows no one in the TPS will dare come out and say “Yes, I was silenced” because it would end their career.
Rafael
May 30th, 2010