Yesterday the Prime Minister announced significant anti-gang legislation. To my mind the legislation, while it won't hurt, won't do much good either.
In effect it increases the presumed degree of murders of a certain type and adds a few mandatory minimum sentences. None of this is counterproductive (it won't increase gang violence) but it won't have much impact either. It shows society's horror at the violence (something of some value) but it is more theatre tha crime fighting.
What will make a difference is more police, especially if put into an intense community policing role, and additional power to seize proceeds of crime. (Further investigatory tools, such as easier cell phone taps might help too).
All these measures are justified because of the spread of violence in Canadian cities. Gunplay on Toronto buses, drive by shootings being common in Vancouver, bombings in Montreal all point to a serious problem than needs addressing. And the additional police powers and, yes, even the increased penalties sought by the Prime Minister, are not a serious infringement on the rights of Canadians -- a balance between privacy and the need to stop crime is required.
And no one is saying no.
So why does the Prime Minister say things like this:
"I would call on the opposition to stop parroting the soft-on-crime lines and get on with passing these things," ... . "The truth of the matter is, those who say that tougher penalties on perpetrators will not work, don't want them to work because they don't believe in this kind of approach."?
Again, partisian political cant not tied to the reality. It seems the Prime Minister has not learned the lessons of last November even now.
6 comments:
Ah, but it will cost us money, and, depending on how the law is written, turn into a legal fiasco as Crowns try to make even the most tentative connections to gangs ('the accused is alleged to know someone gang-related') into qualifying for the minimum sentence. There's mo end to this crap, and laws like this are just the tip of the iceberg.
The result: massive court-clogging appeals, overflowing jails, and, as now, more and more lesser offenses go unprosecuted. In Ontario, 40% of all charges are dropped. Trust me, even minor lesser crimes can have hard impact on people's lives.
We've seen this in the US, where minimum sentencing laws related to gun ownership have people found guilty of modest drug possession hitting the slammer for 15 years because someone who professes to know them _claims_ that he accused owns an illegal gun. For every person treated that way, several persons find their jail terms cut short due to overcrowding in jails.
It also doesn't work.
I'd rather see a commitment to enforce the laws we do have.
But that's not a wedge issue designed to polarize the electorate, is it?
Did you expect Harper not to start ratcheting up the partisan rhetoric? He's safe now. Got the budget passed no problem & is now talking confidence votes again. Any threats of the coalition are now gone & he no longer has any fear of losing power.
I knew it wouldn't take long for him to regress to past behaviours. He's lethal & it is only going to get worse.
That is why I, personally, did not want to see the budget passed & the govt. to fall. Sad to say I fully expect Harper to get his majority in the next election. The general public do not follow politics as we do & haven't a clue as to what the Cons do, nor do they care. As long as they feel that all is going well & that the Cons WILL lead us out of this recession/depression then we have no chance. Hate to say that but I strongly sense that it is true.
I disagree with Penlan. With this kind of rhetoric, the new slush funds, and more divisive brinksmanship as the economic rut deepens, Harper is doing what the opposition could never full do - Remind Canadians of the small, petulant man they have never embraced.
I think he got a little flush thinking the "Obama relaunch" he and the PMO dreamed up would allow him to re-market himself in less than a week after hiding under a rock for several months.
But its the same bad product with new marketing spin so it won't get him very far.
None of my more conservative-leaning friends have been impressed. Harper has long lost some potential voters he will never win back.
Harper just reminded Canadians that Liberals still have strong links to organised crime and illicit drug trafficking.
Morton's gut reaction shows that Harper's strategy works very well.
Comments to Morton's post show that Liberal have many supporters who are illicit drug users.
Harper once again drives the wedge by forcing Liberals to support legislation that Liberal supporters fear could one day land them in Canadian jail.
"Comments to Morton's post show that Liberal have many supporters who are illicit drug users."
Anon - seeing your own reflection in the mirror as you typed that?
penlan,
Your buddy Morton is very arrogant man, just read title of his post quote,
"More partisian shots -- the lessons of November have not sunk in???"
Libranos tried to stage "Three Stooges Rebellion" and thay failed.
If there was a lesson for anyone to learn from it was a lesson for Librano Gang members and their supporters that they are very weak and powerless.
Morton still thinks that Libranos could have pulled it off.
I just wonder what it takes for you people to face reality??
When it comes to illicit drug users supporting Libranos read Mark Francis' post.
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