Motz plans to listen a lot at CPC convention

By Jeremy Appel on August 23, 2018.

jappel@medicinehatnews.com @MHNJeremyAppel

Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner MP Glen Motz is currently in the Maritimes gearing up for the Conservative Party of Canada convention this weekend in Halifax.

Motz told the News he went early to consult with stakeholders in the firearm debate sparked by the federal government’s Bill C-71, which places further restrictions on gun ownership across the country.

“We’re meeting stakeholders in the region on guns, gangs, hunting, fishing and angling,” he said.

Motz will also attend a “big gun rally” in P.E.I. before the convention.

The local MP has been quite outspoken on firearms, but says he won’t bring the issue up at the convention. He is however, prepared to discuss it in the event it comes up.

“We need to focus on the issue and that is the criminals and their ability to acquire guns,” he said, claiming the federal Liberals are punishing “law-abiding gun-owning Canadians.”

Motz denied any rift developing in the party after Quebec MP and leadership race runner-up Maxime Bernier was denounced by party leader Andrew Scheer for tweets lambasting multiculturalism.

“I haven’t seen it. I’ve never sensed it,” he said. “There is no division in our party. People are allowed to have differing views.

“I don’t anticipate any issues here in Halifax. In fact, the only issues here are what the press decides to manufacture.”

There are 76 policy resolutions to be discussed at the convention, including controversial positions like protecting the rights of “pre-born” children, declaring pornography a public health risk, moving Canada’s Israeli embassy to the contested city of Jerusalem and increasing defence spending to two per cent of GDP, as demanded by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Motz was tight-lipped on where he stands on these various issues, deferring to the will of the party.

“I’m not here to push one agenda or another agenda. I’m here to listen,” he said, adding that there will be representatives from all 338 at the convention.

Motz said he’ll be looking more closely at specific policy proposals in the next few days to decide which ones he supports.

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