Fighting Crime and Effective Corrections System

January 14, 2008

My constituents in Kootenay Columbia tell me that tackling crime is important to them and the safety of their children. During the last election campaign, the Conservative party promised Canadians that we would deliver on justice measures.

We listened and that is exactly what we are doing. Canadians are one step closer to safer streets now that the House of Commons has passed the Tackling Violent Crime Act. The Act now moves to the Liberal-dominated Senate, where it must be passed before it can become law.

The Tackling Violent Crime Act is hard-hitting legislation that will impose mandatory minimum-length jail sentences on gun criminals, keep repeat dangerous offenders behind bars, protect Canada's children from sexual predators and crack down on those who drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Will the Liberal Senators support tougher penalties for dangerous gun criminals? Will they support protecting children from sexual predators? Will they support an act to keep dangerous repeat offenders behind bars? Or will they obstruct this important legislation?

A few weeks ago, the report of the independent panel reviewing the operations of the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) was released. Our Government is committed to ensuring a fair and effective corrections system with a priority to protect Canadians. We promised to ask the Corrections Review Panel to undertake a review of our corrections system and we delivered on that promise.

Victims groups and law and order stakeholders have been calling for such a review for a long time. We need to ensure our prisons are safe to work in, are free of illicit drugs and are rehabilitating offenders effectively so that both our corrections staff and our communities are protected. The recommendations of the Review Panel will be considered in detail.

This government is acting on their promise to ensure that we are fighting crime and that Canadians have an effective corrections system.