23 November 2006
Toronto, Ontario
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced that Canada’s New Government is delivering on another of its campaign commitments by introducing amendments to the Criminal Code to provide a “reverse onus” in bail hearings for offenses involving firearms.
“As you know, cracking down on gang, gun and drug crime has been one of the top priorities of Canada’s New Government since we took office nearly ten months ago,” the Prime Minister told his audience at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel. “We made it a priority because Canadians had made it very clear to us that they wanted the scales of justice rebalanced.”
The reforms, to be introduced today in the House of Commons by the Honourable Vic Toews, Q.C., the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, will require those accused of serious crimes involving firearms to provide sufficient justification to be granted bail while awaiting trial. Currently, it is up to Crown prosecutors to prove that the accused should not be granted bail, either because they represent a threat to society, they may flee to avoid prosecution or to maintain the public’s confidence in the administration of justice.
“In this city, police report that almost 1,000 crimes involving firearms or restricted weapons have been committed so far this year,” Prime Minister Harper said. “Nearly 40 per cent of them were committed by someone who was on bail, parole, temporary absence or probation. Gun crime is a menace to public safety, and protecting Canadians must be the first priority of our bail system.”
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and Toronto Mayor David Miller both attended the announcement. The Prime Minister acknowledged the support he has received from them and many other municipal and provincial politicians from across the country for bail reform and other anti-crime bills introduced by his government since it assumed office.
Meanwhile, at a press conference in Montreal, the Prime Minister’s announcement was echoed by Conservative Senator Michael Fortier. “Unfortunately, Montreal is not immune to violent crime,” Senator Fortier said. “Whether break-ins or crimes linked to street gangs, newscasts are reminding us daily that Montrealers too have to cope with the violence, which is all too often tied to firearms.”
