Peggy Revell
Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty said sanctions imposed by the NDP against him for voting to dismantle the long gun registry hurts constituents more than himself.
“It’s not really a penalty for me,” he reasoned last week. “In fact, it actually lightens my workload.”
Rafferty was referring to the fallout after both he and Thunder Bay-Superior North MP Bruce Hyer voted, during second reading in the House of Commons, in favour of the Harper government’s bill that would abolish the registry.
The abolishment is contrary to the official position of the NDP.
Following the vote, party officials said Rafferty no longer would be allowed to make any statements in the House, nor the opportunity to ask any questions.
He also has been removed from the aboriginal committee he was sitting on.
“But what [the sanctions] also do at the same time, though, is it takes the voice of my constituents away when I have opportunities to speak for them in those venues,” Rafferty argued.
He said there seemed to be confusion as to whether or not the vote was “whipped” (i.e., toeing the party line).
“I did know three hours before the vote,” Rafferty admitted.
“I was told that there would be consequence if I voted that way, so I wasn’t entirely taken by surprise.”
Adding to the confusion is that the NDP doesn’t have an official policy when it comes to the registry.
And there still is one more vote scheduled in the House on the bill, Rafferty noted.
“So we’ll see what transpires up until that point because the penalties will be in place until the bill is gone,” he remarked.
“At least that’s what I was told.”
Meanwhile, Rafferty said reaction from within the riding has been “all good,” including hundreds of e-mails and phone calls in support of his vote.
“[The people calling are] not necessarily in support of getting rid of the long gun registry,” he noted. “In fact, a few have been very clear that they want the registry kept but they like the way I voted and stood up for my constituents.”
Rafferty added he’s also received support from people who don’t necessarily vote NDP.
“So it sort of illustrates another thing to me, and that is that very strict party politics that don’t take into account regions or urban-rural splits or whatever the case may be—that maybe there needs to be a new way of doing business,” he said.
Rafferty has long pledged to vote for the abolition of the long gun registry, saying it’s what the majority of constituents in his riding have wanted.
