Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) leader Pierre Poilievre said the Trudeau Liberals’ bail reform policy isn’t nearly enough to address the feds’ catch-and-release system.
The increased crime rate across Canada has taken its toll on both police resources and victims and their families. Criminals awaiting trial are being released back onto the streets, where they often commit crimes again.
On Tuesday, The Liberals introduced Bill C-48, which is meant to tighten up the bail system, but Poilievre told reporters it didn’t go nearly far enough.
“It simply puts in a bunch of lower bars underneath the bar that is already there,” Poilievre said.
He added, “It does not guarantee that a repeat violent offender who is newly charged with a violent crime would stay in jail until the sentence is completed. And that’s how it fails to end catch-and-release.”
Poilievre further said that the Liberals’ proposed amendments wouldn’t be strong enough to have prevented Randal McKenzie from being let out on bail like he was before he then went on to kill constable Const. Greg Pierzchala in December.
McKenzie was let free by the judge while he was awaiting trial. The judge admitted to being more lenient because of McKenzie’s Indigenous background, which is “overrepresented” in jail.
In December, OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique ripped on the federal bail policy, saying that it cost Const. Pierzchala his life.
Every premier in Canada and many police associations have called on the Liberal Government to reform the broken Liberal bail system.
Meanwhile, Canada’s Justice Minister David Lametti said the Bill-48 reforms would prevent “repeat violent offenders who pose a risk to community safety” from being released while awaiting trial.
Last year in British Columbia, 40 individuals were responsible for 6000 interactions with police.
