Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre addressed a town hall meeting in Timmins, Ontario last week that drew dozens of citizens concerned about rising crime and drug use in their city.
“For her to be scared to go to a movie or to school or be out in the neighbourhood is unacceptable. The people of Timmins have the right to be safe in their own community,” Poilievre said in response to 18-year-old Phoenix Blaine, who expressed fear of wandering her neighbourhood and wonders if she’d be safer elsewhere.
“That’s why our common sense Conservative plan seeks to bring home safety by putting the most violent repeat offenders behind bars for reasonable sentences.”
A town hall meeting in Timmins, Ontario last week drew dozens of residents who expressed dismay about the rising crime and drug problems in their city and it caught the attention of Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.
According to Poilievre, Blaine’s testimony moved him to demand further action on the issue of northern and rural crime.
Poilievre blamed the Trudeau government’s lax bail laws for allowing violent repeat offenders to be released back into the community.
He said the Conservatives would reverse the “catch-and-release” policies and impose longer sentences for those who commit multiple crimes.
Poilievre also said he would address the root cause of the crime wave, which he identified as drug use.
He said addicts need treatment and rehabilitation, not safe consumption sites or decriminalization. According to Poilievre, a Conservative government would fund more facilities where addicts can get help to overcome their addiction and rebuild their lives.
“We would also get at the root cause of this, which is drugs. We believe that addicts need treatment, rehab and detox to get them off drugs, that is the only way to end their cycle of theft,” said Poilievre said.
“A lot of people are stealing so they can pay for fentanyl and other powerful drugs. The only way to put an end to that is to get them off the drugs.”
The Liberal government has introduced a bill to reform the bail system, but Bill C-48 has not yet passed second reading. The bill would make it harder for people who have been charged with a violent offence involving a weapon to get bail if they have a similar conviction in the past five years.
But according to Poilievre, the law doesn’t go far enough.
“The problem is that reverse onus already exists for many offenders, and it hasn’t stopped them from being released,” said Poilievre.
“They should be held behind bars until their trial is done and their sentence is complete.”
