MP Report: The revolving door of justice

By GLEN MOTZ on February 24, 2023.

Canada’s existing bail processes within our justice system are broken.

Since 2015, the Liberals have pursued an ideological ‘soft-on-crime’ approach to reforming Canada’s justice system. As a result, communities across the country have faced the destructive fallout of this naivety towards criminals and violence.

Legislative changes have focused on reducing the overrepresentation of racialized people in prison, rather than holding everyone who commits crimes accountable for their actions. The current law demands that police and the courts ensure an offender is released at the earliest possible opportunity, no matter their criminal history.

The result is a bail system so weakened that violent crime has increased 32 per cent, while gang-related murders are up 92 per cent. Toronto police report that last year alone, there were 44 shooting-related homicides in that city. Half of the accused in those homicides were already out on bail for firearm-related or other types of violent crimes. In the past couple of months alone, several Canadians lost their lives, including a police officer, plus numerous others were victimized due to the Liberals’ irresponsible catch and release bail legislation.

The time for accountable bail reform is overdue. Our Conservative Opposition recently introduced common-sense legislation that would have altered the bail release mandate for repeat violent gun offenders, ensuring they remain in custody until trial. Inexplicably, the Liberals and NDP voted against the motion. But their ‘no’ votes were not just against Conservatives or Canadians who believe criminals should be held accountable for their crimes. No, their vote also ignored the pleas of 13 provincial premiers, chiefs of police, police officers and victims of crime who have all urged the Trudeau Liberals to make changes to their failed bail system.

In the wake of escalating violent crimes, the Liberal justice minister has only committed to scheduling a meeting to discuss the situation “in the coming weeks” rather than immediately introducing bail reform legislation to ensure repeat offenders or those charged with serious offences remain in custody. In the meantime, criminals continue to be released on bail while the violence, victimization and killings continue.

This government’s irrational position on Canada’s bail system must stop. Police and the courts should not be mandated to ignore an offender’s criminal history. Conservatives recognize the only way true bail reform will occur, violent offenders are taken off our streets, and public safety is improved, is if there is a change of government. A Poilievre-led Conservative government will fix the Liberals’ failed bail policy and work to end Canada’s revolving door of justice.

Glen Motz is MP for Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner

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