Divisive wedge politics defeated: take that, Harper

The American style wedge politics of division of arrogant the arrogant Conservative Party, who seem to think they know better than the police, were defeated late this afternoon, as federal members of parliament voted to save Canada's long gun registry. Some quick facts on the long gun registry:

• In 2009, the management of the registry cost $4.1 million, slightly more than $0.12 per citizen.

• The registration or transfer of a gun can be made by phone or online in minutes.

• Registering or transferring possession of a gun is free.

• In 2009, 111,533 firearms have been seized by the police in maintaining public safety or further criminal use. Of these, 87,893 were long guns.

• Some 16 police officers were killed by firearms in Canada since 1998, 14 were killed by a gun. About 15% of homicides by firearms in 2007 were with a long gun.

• Police from across Canada use the registry 11,076 times per day and 2,842 of these applications are connected to events relating to public safety.

CBC:

MPs voted to save the gun registry, with enough New Democrat MPs voting with the Liberals and Bloc Québécois to scrap a Conservative private member's bill aimed at killing the 15-year-old federal program.

The vote was tight, with 153 MPs voting in favour of a motion introduced by the House public safety committee to scrap Tory MP Candice Hoeppner's bill, compared with 151 voting against the motion, which would have kept the bill alive.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he would not let the vote deter him from his fight to kill the registry.

"After 15 years, opposition to the long-gun registry is stronger in this country than it has ever been. With the vote tonight, its abolition is closer than it has ever been," Harper said after the vote.

"The people of the regions of this country are never going to accept being treated like criminals and we will continue our efforts until this registry is finally abolished."

Leading up to the vote, parties scrambled to round up support for their side. Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff and NDP Leader Jack Layton vowed their entire caucuses would attend the vote. There were no vacant seats.

The Liberals — under orders from Ignatieff — and the Bloc Québécois made it clear in the weeks leading up to the vote that they intended to halt Bill C-391. The Conservatives supported the bill, so the registry's fate lay with the NDP, which allows its MPs to vote however they want on private member's bills.

Eight Liberal MPs supported Hoeppner's bill last November, along with 12 New Democrats.

The Liberals and NDP said they wanted to ultimately propose changes to the long-gun registry, such as making a first-time failure to register a firearm a non-criminal ticketing offence and waiving fees for new licences, renewals and upgrades.

But the Conservatives ridiculed the opposition proposals, saying they would remove the federal government's jurisdiction over the registry while failing to reduce the cost of a "wasteful" program that they argue does nothing to prevent violence.