Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre held a press conference Wednesday criticizing the Trudeau government’s bail reforms after several recent attacks in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.
“The crime wave is the direct result of Justin Trudeau and the NDP allowing repeat violent offenders onto the streets again,” said Poilievre. “They have flooded our streets with repeat, dangerous offenders and drugs and the results are plain to all eyes.”
This comes after several attacks rattling neighbourhoods across the country.
A 16-year-old boy was stabbed and killed in Toronto’s Keele station Saturday night by a suspect who had an extensive criminal history after assaulting a man with a boxcutter last year.
A 37-year-old man was stabbed to death in broad daylight at a downtown Vancouver Starbucks Sunday evening in front of his fiancee and three-year-old daughter.
A 15-year-old girl was shot in Calgary’s Martindale community on Tuesday and was pronounced dead on the scene.
Also in Calgary, two women were taken to the hospital Tuesday evening at Lions Park Station. One was left in life-threatening condition.
“It’s time to bring some common sense back to our justice system,” said Poilievre after listing the violent incidents. “Today we propose an end to the catch-and-release parole system.”
Quebec Conservative MP Pierre Paul-Hus introduced Bill C-325 to reform Canada’s Criminal Code. The bill proposes to create a new offence in the Criminal Code for the violation of parole conditions.
“It is unthinkable that sex offenders and other violent criminals are released to serve their sentences in the comfort of their living room while their victims and peaceful neighbours live in fear,” said Paul-Hus. “Bill C-5 is an insult to victims of crime, and we must do all we can to stand up for their rights and to protect law-abiding Canadians.”
In an effort to address “systemic racism” in Canada’s prisons, the government introduced Bill C-5, which amended the Criminal Code to remove mandatory minimum prison sentences for a number of offences, including drug convictions, firearms offences and sexual assault. Bill C-5 became law in 2022.
“Justin Trudeau’s revolving door policies are putting a small number of dangerous, repeat violent offenders on our streets, with heartbreaking consequences in communities across our country,” wrote Poilievre in a statement following the conference.
“Keeping dangerous repeat violent offenders behind bars and off our streets shouldn’t be a controversial proposition, but Trudeau and his Liberal government refuse to lift a finger to help communities that are suffering.”
In an interview with True North, Conservative MP for Calgary Confederation Len Webber shared his concerns with the recent attacks in his riding.
“My colleagues and I are calling for more funding for mental health and more resources for substance abuse programs,” wrote Webber. “The Liberal government has allowed violent crime to flourish in every community in Canada.”
“Canadians don’t want ‘soft on crime’ policies that leave our communities unsafe.”
