Harper Talks Tough On Crime During Thornhill Appearance
Posted April 26, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Earlier in the day, Stephen Harper’s Conservative government released the details of their Environmental plan, but on Thursday night, the P.M.’s attention was firmly focused on crime.
Harper was at Le Parc banquet hall in Thornhill for the York Regional Police Appreciation dinner, where he urged Canadian officers to persuade opposition MPs to pass his law and order agenda.
“I would suggest that you not hesitate to pressure…all parties to get on with passing this legislation,” Harper told attendees.
The minority Conservatives introduced 11 crime bills in its first year in power in 2006, but only two of them went on to pass.
“These measures have been making their way through this minority Parliament very slowly,” the P.M. said.
“Even if Canada’s crime rates are low by international standards they are still very high but our own historical standards,” he noted.
Nine bills remain before the House, and they include measures to crack down on drug-impaired drivers, impose tougher mandatory minimum sentences for gun-related crimes, and one that would make it easier to classify people with three or more criminal convictions as dangerous offenders.
“I hope that goodwill and common sense will prevail in these deliberations,” he said.
Harper stressed the importance of a passing a bill that will put the onus on the accused to persuade a judge to grant bail.
“I hope all parties in the House of Commons will get onside.”
