Ignatieff open to changing gun registry

Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff says his party supports "the principle of gun control" but recognizes its application is a tough sell in rural Canada. The solution, he says, may be to "decriminalize" the long-gun registry. Ignatieff’s newfound openness to reform efforts comes ahead of a key Commons vote that could be a prelude to a total repeal of the long-gun registry. A private member’s bill sponsored by Conservative MP Candice Hoeppner is expected to find enough supporters among both Conservative and opposition MPs to get through a second reading later today. Under the terms of Hoeppner’s bill, longstanding controls on restricted handguns and prohibited weapons would remain, as would requirements that gun owners hold a valid license, but owners of rifles and shotguns would no longer have to register their weapons.Toronto Star