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Tackling Crime Bill Overcomes Liberal
Obstruction
Innisfil Scope
June 5, 2007
By Peter Van Loan, MP, York-Simcoe
The House of Commons has finally passed Bill
C-10, a Bill primarily targeted at
disrupting organized crime and gangs by
imposing tough mandatory penalties on those
convicted of serious offences involving
firearms. The Bill now heads to the Senate.
Bill C-10 is a key element in Canada’s New
Government’s overall criminal justice
legislative agenda. It demonstrates our
continued commitment to protect Canadian
families and make communities safer by
cracking down on guns and gangs. This Bill
was introduced in the House of Commons well
over a year ago and I am pleased to see that
it is finally making progress through
Parliament. The Bill was delayed at
committee by the Liberals and the Bloc
Quebecois for 252 days – and ultimately all
its measures were removed – but we were able
to restore the Bill with the support of the
NDP when it went back to the House of
Commons.
Bill C-10 will toughen sentences for serious
gun offences for both "use" offences, such
as attempted murder, robbery and extortion,
and "non-use" offences, such as firearm
trafficking and smuggling. For “use”
offences, the Bill now proposes a mandatory
penalty of 5 years on a first offence and 7
years on a second or subsequent offence.
Since taking office, Canada's New Government
has brought forward 12 justice bills,
including legislation to restrict
conditional sentences, to better fight
alcohol- and drug-impaired driving, to
create tougher laws against street racing,
and to raise the age of consent from 14 to
16 years to protect youth from adult sexual
predators. Despite repeated efforts to move
this legislation through the House of
Commons, thus far, only two justice bills
have become law. Canada's New Government
will continue to work to pass these
outstanding pieces of legislation to protect
our streets and communities and build a
stronger, safer, better Canada.
The people of York-Simcoe consistently tell
me they want a government that is serious
about tackling crime. That’s why I’ve made
it a priority as Government House Leader to
schedule our justice bills for debate and
work to achieve their passage.
Safe, low crime communities are the type of
place we all want to live in and raise our
families. That’s what I’m working to make
reality.
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