Inside Politics

Talking Point Challenge: Can you spot the difference between the party line and the ministerial response?

by Kady O'Malley Posted: September 10, 2012 5:33 PM Last Updated: September 10, 2012 6:04 PM
11: 03 am - Conservative Party-prepared talking points on Quebec Superior Court decision to grant a permanent injunction to preserve gun registry data sent to the Info-Alerte mailing list:

Today, the Quebec Superior Court granted the Government of Quebec's application for an injunction to prevent the destruction of Federal Long-Gun Registry data.  The Court has ordered the Federal Government to transfer personal information belonging to long-gun owners in Quebec to the Government of Quebec within 30 days.
 
  • We are disappointed with today's ruling and we will thoroughly review the decision.
  • The will of Parliament and Canadians has been clear - we do not want any form of wasteful and ineffective long-gun registry.
  • The data contained in the Long-Gun Registry is out of date and inaccurate.

  • The NDP has consistently said that if given the chance they would try and use this data to target law-abiding hunters, farmers and sport shooters. Just yesterday, Mr. Mulcair stated "I continue to believe that a form of registry is necessary" (Le Devoir, September 10, 2012).
  • Our Conservative Government will continue to fight against any measures that needlessly target law-abiding hunters, farmers and sport shooters.
11:51 am  - Statement issued by Public Safety Minister Vic Toews on decision: 

I am disappointed with today's ruling and will thoroughly review the decision. The will of Parliament and Canadians has been clear. We do not want any form of a wasteful and ineffective long-gun registry. The NDP has consistently said that if given the chance they would try and use this data to target law-abiding hunters, farmers and sport shooters. Our Conservative Government will continue to fight against any measures that needlessly target law-abiding hunters, farmers and sport shooters.
Give up? "Not much" would be the easy -- and largely correct -- answer, so give yourself a point if that was your answer. 

Scrupulously careful readers, however, will note that, before copypasting the party-provided talking points that remain otherwise intact, someone in the minister's office apparently decided to take out the line dismissing the current data as "out of date and inaccurate," most likely because he or she realized someone else might point out that, technically, it was the minister who was theoretically ultimately responsible for maintaining the now-defunct registry.

UPDATE: The minister's statement also omitted the Le Devoir citation backing up the claim that the NDP would restore the registry, although that was most likely because it would look out of place, as his words are otherwise presented as being delivered by the minister himself, and very few people cite news articles when commenting on events. 


Tags: blackberry jungle, gun registry, he who controls the message controls the minister, talking point challenge, vic toews