Liberals Delete Key Sections of Conservative Anti-Crime Bill

Ottawa – Liberal, NDP, and Bloc Quebecois members of the Justice Committee voted to remove key sections of Conservative anti-crime Bill C-5.  The removed sections would have enabled the Canadian Minister of Justice to prevent Canadian offenders who commit crimes in foreign countries like the United States from serving their sentence in Canada in certain circumstances.

The Opposition MPs on the committee also demonstrated that their focus remains on the wellbeing of convicted criminals and not on protecting and helping victims of crime.  They voted to remove almost every single reference to the rights of victims they could find from Bill C-5.

“I am disappointed, but not very surprised, that the Opposition parties would once again weaken new bills that would protect ordinary folks,” stated local MP Scott Reid.

Reid continued, “I believe that Canadians want a justice system that puts the law-abiding innocent victims first – not the convicts.  And that’s what our Conservative government will keep fighting for, even in the face of tough Opposition tactics like this.”

The initial version of Bill C-5 as it was introduced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government in 2009 would have brought in provisions that would allow the Minister of Justice to prevent an offender from returning to Canada if that offender would present a risk to Canadians, especially children or if that offender would continue to engage in criminal activities after his transfer to Canada.

The Liberals, NDP, and the Bloc Quebecois voted that the Minister should not be able to exercise his authority to protect Canadian families from potentially dangerous criminals being detained in the country in which they were convicted.

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For further information contact:

Mike Firth
Executive Assistant to Scott Reid, MP
613-947-2277

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