Support Wendy Cukier from the Coalition for Gun Control

Support the Globe and Mail’s nomination of Wendy Cukier, President of the Coalition for Gun Control to the Transformational Canadians Panel.

Dr. Wendy Cukier, associate dean of the Ted Rogers School of Management and founder of the Diversity Institute at Ryerson University is also the president and co-founder of the Coalition for Gun Control. She has been nominated by the Globe and Mail’s Transformational Canadians Panel  for her work over the past 20 years in helping shape gun control in Canada, a triumph for public health and safety. By reducing gun death, injury and crime through the Coalition for Gun Control, Dr. Cukier has been instrumental in raising Canada’s international standing thanks to progressive gun control measures.

Within a few hours of her nomination by the Transformational Canadian Panel, the gun lobby has already organized a letter/comment writing campaign to the Globe and Mail in an attempt to discredit her nomination and challenge her accomplishments.

Help support her nomination (and mobilize others to do so) by posting positive comments here: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/25/the-nominees/wendy-cukier-gun-control-activist/article1743945/

The Registry Lives to Fight Another Day

CFUW was present at last night’s historic vote. After months of hard work, the registry was saved… for now.  This victory, while we can savor it for the time being, is bitter sweet.  After the vote the Prime Minister vowed to continue the campaign to end the long gun registry.  This means that while we have won the battle, the war is far from over.

The contempt shown for a tool that has helped save hundreds of women’s lives cannot be tolerated. We need to work harder than ever to protect the registry and gun control in this country; we must speak out for those who are silenced by fear, intimidation and firearms.

Our Prime Minister’s promise to get rid of the gun registry underlines his lack of respect for our democratic processes. CFUW, as an organization with a founding purpose to increase the status and safety of women, cannot sit on the sidelines. We will work with our partners in civil society, in the labour movement, the Ad Hoc Coalition and with groups across the country to ensure these issues do not fade.

Thank you to CFUW members across the country for your hard work and commitment to making Canada a more equal society.  You can feel proud in knowing that we stood up to a divisive, bullying government and won. Keep fighting; the issues are too important to lose.

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For more information please contact:

Sam Spady, cfuwadvocacy@rogers.com

CFUW Kitchener-Waterloo wins local support for the Gun Registry!

The Kitchener-Waterloo Regional council voted 14-1 this week to support the Long Gun Registry.

CFUW Kitchener-Waterloo presented the case for the registry, as it is an important tool that helps fight domestic violence and homicide. Since its creation, the registration of long guns has helped enforce  safety regulations and remove firearms in situations of domestic violence. The result is a three fold decrease in the number of spousal homicides.

The House of Commons resumes next week after the summer recess to decide the fate of the registry.  Jack Layton and the NDP have announced they have the support of enough of their rural MPs to save the valuable safety tool. Yet, in urban areas like Kitchener-Waterloo, Conservative MPs are expected to vote to eliminate it. The work of CFUW Kitchener-Waterloo and the recent vote of the Regional Council reminds these MPs that the registry saves lives, and they ought to put public safety before politics.  To learn more about the Gun Registry and contact your own MP on the issue, click here.

Congratulations to Margaret Binek, the Advocacy Chair at CFUW Kitchener-Waterloo, and all of the members involved for their hard work!

As reported in The Waterloo Area Record – http://news.therecord.com/news/article/776392

Call to (Register) Arms!

The effort to save the gun registry continues.

The CFUW is launching a new campaign, “Call to (Register) Arms”. Members are encouraged to call their MP and continue to highlight how important the gun registry is to public safety!

To find how your MP voted on Bill C-391 click here.

Is your MP one of the opposition members to vote for this bill? Click here to find phone numbers, scripts and talking points to make your call easier!