We remember when a Canadian Prime Minister spoke of building “a just society”. There is no such talk from the federal government today. Instead, we have a government obsessed with punishment, retribution and prison time. But we will not reduce crime in the long run by putting more people in jail and giving them even longer sentences.
The crime rate in Canada is at its lowest level since 1973. Our justice system has been working. Our sentencing system has found a balance between punishment, deterrence and the rehabilitation of offenders – and the evidence is clear: it has worked to reduce crime.
But evidence such as statistics, expert opinions, and hard facts about what has been working and what hasn’t in the past decades have been pushed aside by the Conservatives. Driven by ideology over facts, they are pressing forward with Bill C-10, “The Safe Streets and Communities Act ” , which will increase the number of mandatory minimum sentences and make the Youth Criminal Justice Act even more repressive.
Let us be clear: Bill C-10 won’t prevent crime, and in fact may lead to more crime and less public safety.
The overwhelming majority of studies show that prison does not lower recidivism rates among criminals – in fact, the longer one spends in prison, the higher the likelihood of re-offending. We know that prison can serve as a school of crime – where young people find protection in gangs when they never were a gang member before, and where first-time offenders can turn into hardened criminals. Serious studies conclude that we should reserve incarceration for the sole purpose of punishing and selectively incapacitating those who pose the greatest risk to society. Indeed, rehabilitation programs are more effective in reducing repeat offenders.
Here in Quebec, we have an original approach to youth crime that works. In 2010, the severity of youth crime in Quebec was the lowest in Canada, proof that we are not “soft” on crime but rather that we are smart and “tough” on its root causes. But now the Harper government wants to ignore the evidence and change our approach.
The government’s obsessive desire to impose adult sentences on young offenders goes against the expert opinion of Canada’s legal and medical communities. They are clear that it is crucial to consider a young offender’s personal situation when they are facing criminal charges. We also know that prison can serve as a school of crime where first time youthful offenders are “educated” by hardened criminals.
Moreover, this will be costly for taxpayers. The Harper government has refused to provide a full costing of its so-called “tough-on-crime” agenda. The estimates we have seen from other sources put the cost in the billions of dollars – the Institut de recherche et d’informations socio-économiques recently estimated the cost at some $19 billion. Conservatives are hypocritically asking Canadians to tighten their belts while at the same time they are going on a spending spree with taxpayer’s money.
Liberal Senators will be proposing amendments to this Bill, but given the Conservatives’ majority in the Senate, there is little chance that they will be adopted.
This is regrettable because as Justice Minister Fournier has said, Bill C-10 is not tough on crime, but rather tough on democracy. With this legislation, the Harper government is showing once again that its attachment to democratic principles is questionable.
- Liberal Senators of the Province Quebec
Hon. Roméo Dallaire
Hon. Dennis Dawson
Hon. Pierre De Bané, P.C.
Hon. Céline Hervieux-Payette, P.C.
Hon. Serge Joyal, P.C.
Hon. Paul Massicotte
Great comment Diana. I used to vote Liberal but there has been such a lack of philosophical coherence and need for strong leadership that my only goal now is to vote for the party that will keep the Conservatives out of power. Most people I know who voted Conservative did so because it was the “lesser of three evils”. The young people I know don’t vote because they have no faith in the political system.
The Liberals need an image revamp and a strong leader. There is no time to waste as scandals such as the recent robocall scandal may cause a bi-election. If there is no valid alternative waiting to jump in then the Conservatives will be re-elected!
We need a leader with loads of charisma and a refined sense of public relations. Someone who will appeal to all of those who have been pushed to the wayside by the Conservatives including Conservatives who are quickly losing faith. We need a leader who will proudly proclaim the true meaning of Liberalism while making people feel secure about contemporary fears. People are becoming more discouraged by the Conservatives every day but a stronger alternative has yet to come forth. There is a immense opportunity right now. Why is no one filling this void?
If an effective Liberal leader can’t be found then the Liberals and the NDP should unite as the Liberal Democrats and crush this threat to Canada for once and for all. It really has become everyone else against the Conservatives. Why have those against them divided into competing parties?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTqD8KbmevA
Texas to Canada: Harper’s Crime Bill a huge mistake
Awesome video, one of the first things i heard of from the media.
Its always been easier to get american political news then Canadian.
Texas is also home to Presidential hopeful RON PAUL who wants to end the war on drugs. Obviously what texas is doing *now* is working.
Very well put Diana. Thank you. Sustainable. Stable. Socially responsible. That is my liberal party.
This is the smartest think I’ve read on this website.
I have long believed that Quebec is the most politically astute province in Canada. That Canadian Prime Minister who ‘spoke of building “a just society”’ knew it too.
This critique of C-10 is powerful. It is in keeping with a Liberalism I once respected (if not always voted for). Canadian Liberalism used to be unique: It had a coherent philosophy, and it was always conscious of the centrality of the Social Contract. That all went by the wayside when the party embraced neoliberalism and the economics of social darwinism.
The Conservative worldview has always been driven by fear, and its law-and-order approach is being tailored to those who seek revenge rather that rehabilitation. If we were really serious about reducing the recidivism rate, we would reintroduce the prison university program — and when Conservatives start whining about why criminals should get a free post-secondary degree while decent, law abiding citizens have to pay for theirs, that would be the time for Liberals to say, Ok, let’s talk about abolishing tuition fees.
Conservatives would rather spend our tax dollars on keeping prisoners in prison longer, and turning more citizens into criminals so that Harper can fill up those prisons he’s determine on building. If we spent that money on educating prisoners and welcoming them back into freedom, we’d be a lot farther ahead, both socially and fiscally.
I am hoping that all card-carrying Liberals across Canada will look to Quebeckers in their effort to embrace a truly Canadian Liberal philosophy and a Social Contract for the 21st century. For we’ve drifted too far away from that “just society” promised to us but never fully implemented.