Report From Parliament's Hill: November 29th

By Prince George - Peace River M.P. Jay Hill

Closing the Legal Loopholes With One Justice Bill After Another

The first order of legislative business for our Conservative Government in this session of Parliament was to introduce the Tackling Violent Crimes Act, Bill C-2.  Yet we didn’t stop there.  Over the last two months, we’ve continued to introduce legislation designed to enhance the effectiveness of, and confidence in, our justice system.

Bill C-2 brought back significant crime bills that are widely-supported by Canadians but never became law in the last Parliamentary session due to opposition obstructionism.  It includes mandatory prison time for serious gun crimes, bail reform, raising the age of consent to protect our children from sexual predators, cracking down on drug and alcohol impaired driving and tougher monitoring and consequences for high-risk and repeat offenders.

Next, we introduced legislation to establish FAIR and APPROPRIATE measures to hold young people accountable when they commit serious crimes, especially those youth involved in gangs. 

Meaningful consequences will instil within youth a sense of responsibility for delinquent or criminal behaviour, as well as give them better opportunities for rehabilitation so that they do not re-offend.

Bill C-25 will allow judges to impose punishments that actually deter and denounce serious offences committed by youth.  It will also make it easier to detain youth in custody prior to their trial if they pose a risk to public safety. 

Amid growing concerns and criticism regarding the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA), Justice Minister Rob Nicholson also announced that a comprehensive review of the YCJA will be undertaken in 2008. 

Minister Nicholson also introduced a bill to get tough on drug traffickers which reflects Private Members’ Legislation I introduced in previous Parliaments. Bill C-26 proposes mandatory jail time for those convicted of trafficking drugs near schools or other areas frequented by youth.  Our Government believes those convicted of running grow-ops, drug labs or trafficking MUST serve time in prison.  These provisions will demonstrate that drug offences involving organized crime, violence or preying upon youth will result in punishment.

Another growing problem in our society that our Government has moved to address is identity theft.  Organized crime and modern technology are making identity theft easier than ever.  This is a complex and serious problem that poses devastating consequences for its victims. 

The use of another person’s identity information, such as impersonation and forgery, is addressed by current offences in the Criminal Code.  However identity theft, the preparatory steps of collecting, possessing or trafficking in identity information, is generally not captured by existing offences.

Bill C-27 will create three new offences directly targeting identity theft – all subject to a five-year sentence.  This includes: obtaining or possessing identity information with intent to use it to commit certain crimes; trafficking in identity information; and unlawfully possessing and trafficking in government-issued identity documents.

These measures, like many of our justice reforms, are designed to close legal loopholes that continue to be exploited, often by organized crime and gangs.  

You deserve a justice system that protects you and your family.  Our Conservative Government wants to slam the door on the criminals and predators that victimize innocent Canadians. 
    

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