Since our government was first elected, we have taken action to tackle crime and protect Canadians.  Our approach is balanced:  it includes prevention, enforcement and rehabilitation.  We are ‘cracking down’ on crime.  In the past few weeks we have introduced a number of bills.

Bill C-4 “An Act to amend the Youth Criminal Justice Act and to make consequential and related amendments to other Acts (Protecting the Public from Violent Young Offenders)” also known as ‘Sébastien’s Law,’ will amend the young offenders legislation to make youth offenders more accountable. The bill will:  a) help ensure that the protection of society is given due consideration in sentencing offenders; b) simplify the rules to keep young offenders off the streets, when necessary, to protect the public; c) require the Crown to consider seeking adult sentences for youth convicted of the most serious violent crimes; d) provide sentencing principles to enable the courts to discourage an individual from offending again, when circumstances require it; e) give the courts the tools necessary to identify a pattern of criminal activity, such as violent swarming, repeat auto theft or home invasions, and to use that pattern to seek a custodial sentence when necessary;  f) require the courts to consider publishing the name of a violent young offender in individual circumstances, when necessary for the protection of society; g) ensure that offenders under the age of 18 will not be placed in an adult facility, even when they receive an adult sentence; and, h) ensure that young offenders sentenced to custody under the age of 18, be placed in youth facilities only.

Bill C-16 “An Act to amend the Criminal Code (Ending House Arrest for Property and Other Serious Crimes by Serious and Violent Offenders Act)” will restrict the use of conditional sentences.  (A conditional sentence is a sentence of imprisonment of less than two years that may be served in the community – for example, under house arrest – provided several pr-conditions are met.)  The amendments will remove the reference to Serious Personal Injury Offence in the Criminal Code and instead make it clear that conditional sentences are not available for specific crimes.

Bill C-5 “An Act to amend the International Transfer of Offenders Act (Keeping Canadians Safe (International Transfer of Offenders) Act”) will not allow offenders serving jail time to return to Canada to serve their time if, in the opinion of the Minister, the offender might pose a threat to the Canadian public.

Bill S-6 “An Act to amend the Criminal Code and another Act (Serious Time for the Most Serious Crime Act” will eliminate the “faint hope clause” meaning, offenders who commit murder on or after the day that this proposed legislation comes into force, will no longer be eligible to apply for early parole.  Proposed legislation would make it more difficult for offenders who are currently serving or awaiting sentencing for murder, to apply for early parole under the faint hope clause.  The longer waiting period to re-apply after an initial rejection will bring more peace of mind to victim’s loved ones because unsuccessful applicants will be able to apply only two times; once when they become eligible at the 15-year mark of their life sentence, and once more five years later. 

Bill C-17 “An Act to amend the Criminal Code (investigative hearing and recognizance with conditions) (Combating Terrorism Act)” will provide more tools for police and prosecutors to prevent and investigate terrorist activities.  These stipulations are necessary to protect our country from the threat of terrorism. 

Our Minister of Public Safety and National Security, the Honourable Vic Toews, also announced legislation to strengthen the National Sex Offender Registry and the National Data Bank (DNA).

Many of these bills were introduced previously by our government only to be gutted by the Opposition in committee or amended in the Senate. Now that we have a majority in the Senate, it is our hope that these bills will be passed into law to better protect Canadians and keep our streets safe.

It is simply amazing that the Opposition fights our Crime Bills but wants to keep the ineffective costly Long Gun Registry!  Criminals pull the trigger, and they are not likely to register their guns, so why harass the farmer, or sports hunter?  Let’s give the police and courts the ability to put criminals in jail!

Colin Mayes, MP Okanagan-Shuswap