The Hypocrisies and Insanities of Rob Nicholson's Crime Bills

There was an interesting article in the Ottawa Citizen today about Rob Nicholson's ridiculous crime bills.

The author, Susan Riley, reminded us that back in the day when Mr. Nicholson was with the Progressive Conservative party he wasn't nuts.

An irritated Nicholson has vowed to reintroduce the bill in March, when Parliament resumes -- but here's another curiosity. The Hill Times reported recently that, in 1988, Nicholson, then a Progressive Conservative MP,was vice-chair of a Commons committee that recommended against mandatory minimums, except for repeat violent sex offenders.

Asked about this apparent change of heart, the minister's spokes-person noted the drug world and values have changed. But the facts haven't. As New Democrat Libby Davies noted: "What they are doing is not based on evidence, whatsoever. It's a political stance."

And there in lies the problem with this party. No decisions they make have anything to do with what's best for Canada or the Canadian people. Everything, but everything, is about the fortunes of the Conservative Party of Canada.

In November, John Geddes wrote a piece for MacLeans; 'Are we really soft on crime', revealing that criminal and law enforcement experts claimed that these horrible crime bills are not the way to go:

Ian Brodie, the former university political science professor who served as Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s chief of staff from 2006 to 2008, explained why in an unusually candid talk on Conservative strategy last spring at McGill University in Montreal. “Every time we proposed amendments to the Criminal Code, sociologists, criminologists, defence lawyers and Liberals attacked us for proposing measures that the evidence apparently showed did not work,” Brodie said. “That was a good thing for us politically, in that sociologists, criminologists and defence lawyers were and are all held in lower repute than Conservative politicians by the voting public. Politically it helped us tremendously to be attacked by this coalition of university types.”

'University types'?

Rob Nicholson himself knows that these bill are the absolute wrong way to go for this country, but will sacrifice his credibility for votes. Why did he get into Canadian politics? Is this really the level that our government has stooped?

And they use this same kind of controlled ignorance when dealing with the safe injection site in Vancouver, as Riley continues:

It doesn't bother providing facts, or even arguments; it appeals, as usual, to resentment, ignorance and frightening headlines that obscure the fact that crime rates have been declining. And, with the brave exception of Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe, most of Harper's political opponents, including those who know better, are afraid to object. If Conservatives were as concerned with victims as they claim to be, the effectiveness of crime-fighting measures would be paramount -- not their political appeal. And they'd be counselling wisdom in this complex issue, not revenge.

Academics are 'elitists' and experts are 'university types'. People are afraid to speak up to this government because they know a smear campaign will immediately follow. From Richard Colvin to the latest victim, TD Bank CEO Ed Clark. Everyone now lives in a culture of fear.

IS THIS REALLY YOUR CANADA?

So Conservative Blake Richards Isn't so Tough on Crime After all

For all his blather about being tough on Crime, Conservative Blake Richards has proven that he's only tough on some crime, or at least on some criminals.

Richards is one of the men our local Conservative candidate, Brian Abrams, had abuse taxpayer money to distribute partisan attack ads in Kingston, Ontario. (And Abrams wants to be our Member of Parliament????? Yikes!!!!!)

But Richards is the MP for Wild Rose, Alberta, a safe Reform Party seat, so he doesn't really need to campaign. Although, at least one of his constituents wasn't too pleased to be getting his taxpayer funded 'fluff'.

However, back to Blake and his 'huffin' and puffin' ... criminals will pay' nonsense.

When Alberta Mountie, Guy Armand Raes, admitted to sexually assaulting a teenage girl, many residents felt he got off too lightly. His original sentence was for only eight months, but later he was able to serve just 90 days, and then just on weekends. In fact he was even able to still receive a medal for bravery, despite the conviction.

Jail urged for Mountie who fondled girl
By KEVIN MARTIN
The Calgary Sun

AIRDRIE -- Sexually abusing a wayward teen he took under his wing should land a disgraced Mountie a 90-day jail term, a prosecutor said yesterday. But the lawyer for Const. Guy Armand Raes said his client has already suffered public humiliation and lost career, and doesn't need to be thrown behind bars as well.

Defence counsel Willie de Wit said Raes, a 22-year RCMP veteran, will be forced to resign from the force after pleading guilty to sexual assault. Raes, 51, admitted fondling the breasts of a 17-year-old girl he had been helping get back on the straight and narrow for two years and to whom he had become a father figure. (Oh my gawd! Fondling her breasts makes him a 'father figure'. Is he nuts?)

Crown prosecutor Craig Krieger said despite Raes' efforts to assist the girl his sexual advances on her breached a trust relationship and warranted a severe punishment.

"We acknowledge the accused, especially going into what turned out to be the relationship, did not go into it to specifically exploit this girl, or harm her," Krieger said. "But over time he crossed the line," he told provincial court Judge Barb Veldhuis. Krieger pointed to a series of text messages between Raes and the teen, who can't be identified, to illustrate how he went too far in his job as a police officer attempting to assist a youth in trouble.

He noted in one exchange Raes talked about the two being "soul mates."

Krieger said Raes' good work at getting the girl, whom he first met when she was 15, off drugs and alcohol made his violation of her all the more damaging. "There's no doubt he made a positive difference to this girl's life," he said. "That's probably why it hurt so much when he breached the trust."

Raes, who was under warning from his superiors not to have off duty contact with youths whom he had encountered through work, arranged to meet the girl late in the evening of Feb. 12, 2007. They then drove to an isolated location where he fondled her naked breasts.

De Wit said the decorated officer, who was awarded the governor general's Star of Courage for pulling a young couple out of a fire, never set out to have a sexual relationship with the teen.

One of Blake Richard's constituents was upset by the light sentence so turned to the man who vowed to protect children from sexual abuse and get tough on crime. But of course, Richards ignored the complaint, not surprising after calling the RCMP watchdog a mere 'paper pusher'


Another Mountie Charged with Sexual Assault

"... about Guy Raes, I was just wondering if you did hear about what he got. He did not get the 8 months.. instead they decided to give him a sentince (sic) of 90 day in jail to only be spent on weekends.. I thought that 8 months was a joke. I even wrote a letter to our MP Blake Richards asking him to make sure the crown would appeal this sentice (sic) but do you think he would reply. On top of that he has the nerve to be in the paper and talking about our justice system and how they need to make sure people get the time for the crimes they commit. ...I cannot believe that Canada does not have the guts to put people behind bars, instead they get a slap on the wrist!

The law should be the same for everyone and I'm surprised that Mr. Richards did not at least respond.

Back to - The Blake Richards Story: Shameless Self-Promotion

Peter Van Loan Puts Public at Risk to Deflect Tory Incompetence

Despite all their bluster about being tough on crime, the Conservatives only adhere to the punishment side, without giving any thought to crime prevention, the courts, or the difficulty of overextending incarceration.

I know they are pandering to the private prison lobby and their 'law and order' base, but they have to stop and give their head a shake.

For once in their lives, they need to listen to those who will be affected the most from their lack of insight.

Peter Van Loan's recent announcement was no exception.

Experts douse Tory inmate crackdown plan
June 16th, 2009
Sue Bailey
Canadian Press

OTTAWA - The Harper government says it wants to increase victims' rights while getting tougher with inmates who break prison rules or violate parole conditions.

But critics say the latest move in the Tory law-and-order agenda would actually increase public risk in the long run.

Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan said legislation proposed Tuesday would offer victims more information about inmate parole and rehabilitation.

If passed, the changes would also create new penalties for inmates who throw urine at guards or act out in other ways.

Police could also immediately arrest without a warrant any offender suspected of breaching release conditions.

Adam Boni of the Criminal Lawyers' Association warned the move would increase pressure on overstretched prisons that are already struggling to rehabilitate inmates.

"This government says society is safer as long as we can keep them locked up for as long as possible. In fact, what this approach does is create a powder keg in the federal penitentiary system.

"What it means is more over-crowding, more expense, less programs, less meaningful treatment. When these people are ultimately released ... they're going to be less equipped and less rehabilitated than they need to be. And we all suffer as a society."

Van Loan stressed that Ottawa has committed $479 million over five years to "set the foundation to strengthen the federal correctional system."

The federal government now spends more than $2 billion a year to oversee 13,500 inmates in 58 institutions. Another 8,000 prisoners are under varying degrees of supervision on the outside.

The majority, including sex offenders, never fully complete rehabilitation programs because of long waiting lists and frequent transfers, correctional investigator Howard Sapers told the Commons public safety committee this month.

However, inmates are routinely assessed upon arrival for mental health issues, Van Loan said. And programs to battle drug and alcohol abuse are being offered in the first 90 days of incarceration where none used to exist.

The minister conceded "there are real challenges" - including a chronic lack of psychologists and other specialists in prisons. Hiring and retention are ongoing issues in corrections as in the mainstream health system.

Sapers says many offenders are released without ever receiving recommended treatment due to lack of staff and resources.

Criminologists said Tory plans to curtail house arrest just as they increase minimum mandatory sentences for various crimes will only lock up more people with little or no effect on crime rates.

Van Loan has championed that approach and said there's more to come.

"We have a long-term commitment to work toward earned parole to replace statutory release," he said.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has repeatedly promised to scrap the automatic release of prisoners after serving two-thirds of their sentence in favour of "earned parole for behaviour and rehabilitation in prison."

Such a move is expected to vastly increase the amount of costly prison space needed.

Other changes proposed Tuesday to the Corrections and Conditional Release Act include:
-Informing victims about the reasons for offender transfers and giving advance notice where possible .
-Informing victims about inmate program participation and any serious discipline issues.
-Sharing the reasons for a temporary leave from a prison.
-Requiring inmates to respect other people and property; obey all penitentiary rules and conditions governing release; and actively participate in fulfilling their rehabilitation plan.
-Enshrining in law a victim's already existing right to participate in parole board hearings.
-Emphasizing the importance of considering the seriousness of a crime in National Parole Board decision-making.

Sounds like a lot of bureaucracy with little meaningful results.

Of course they're bringing all of this out during the final days of the session, so they can accuse the Liberal senators of stonewalling. They always have an agenda.

Federal Liberals accused of being soft on crime
By ELIZABETH THOMPSON,
National Bureau
Sun Media
June 22, 2009

OTTAWA — Justice Minister Rob Nicholson accused the Liberals of being soft on crime Tuesday, saying the Senate is stalling legislation needed to protect Canadians.

“Liberal softness on crime is demonstrated again and again by gutting our crime legislation, tying it up in red tape and playing procedural games so that it never becomes law,” Nicholson said.

The Liberal majority in the Senate, however, says it won’t simply rubber stamp legislation and the Conservatives themselves are responsible for many of the delays.

“They want to appear to be tough on crime,” Senate Opposition Leader James Cowan said. “If they were really serious about this, they would have introduced these bills at the beginning of the session and processed them through the House and gotten them to us before the end of the session.”

The comments come after Nicholson complained to reporters that it was taking too long for crime legislation to be adopted and to urge Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff to order Liberal senators to pass the bills before they leave this week for summer vacations.

Nicholson also singled out the Bloc Quebecois for blocking crime bills such as those that call for mandatory minimum sentences.

The Liberals, however, say Nicholson is being “disingenuous” and suggested he look to his Conservative colleagues in the Senate who have sometimes taken days or weeks before initiating debate on bills.

Some bills have taken a month or two to pass the House and now Nicholson wants them to pass the Senate in only two or three days, Cowan said.

“We’re not going to be pushed into doing that,” Cowan said, suggesting the Conservatives are trying to distract attention away from the economy and the isotope shortage.

“We’re taking our time to do what we are paid to do and that is to take a careful look at these.”