LANGLEY, BC, February 26, 2009 – Today Prime Stephen Harper announced that the Conservative Government will be introducing legislation to make changes to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act; and to the Criminal Code (organized crime and protection of justice system participants). Protecting the safety and security of Canadians is a priority which earned this government a strengthened mandate in the last Federal Election. Canadians have been clear: they want their government to get tough on crime, and that is exactly what we are doing.
The “Organized Crime Bill” will address serious organized crime and gang issues including gang murders, drive-by shootings and additional protection for police and peace officers. If passed by Parliament, the Bill will make murders connected to organized crime automatically first-degree, regardless of intent (First-degree murder is subject to a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without eligibility for parole for 25 years); the bill will target drive-by and other reckless shootings that involve the reckless disregard for the life or safety of others; and better address assaults against police and peace officers.
“For over ten years the previous Federal Liberal Government did not listen to us when we sternly warned them about the escalation of gang violence in our communities due to organized crime,” said Langley Member of Parliament, Mark Warawa. “They did nothing about this serious issue which has terrorized Metro Vancouver for years, and now we continue to pay the consequences. As a father and grandfather, I am proud that our Government is sending a strong message to those involved in criminal activity that we will no longer tolerate any more violence on our communities.”
Since forming Government, the Conservative Government has introduced a number of bills which have resulted in changes to the Criminal Code. This was not an easy task because of obstruction by the Federal Liberals in the House of Commons and Senate; however, after two years of delays, the Conservative Government’s “Tackling Violent Crime” legislation finally came into force in May 2008.
The Tackling Violent Crime Act has strengthened the Criminal Code in the following five areas: tougher mandatory jail time for serious gun crimes; new reverse onus bail provisions which require that those accused of serious gun crimes show why they shouldn’t be kept in jail while awaiting trial; better protection for youth from adult sexual predators by increasing the age of protection for sexual activity from 14 years to 16 years; more effective sentencing and monitoring to prevent dangerous, high-risk offenders from offending again; and new ways to detect and investigate drug-impaired driving and stronger penalties for alcohol impaired driving.
“With the new legislations we are introducing this week, I encourage all opposition MPs to work with us because we need to pass tougher laws to make our streets safer!”
