Pubdate: Tue, 04 Apr 2006
Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2006, Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact:  http://torontosun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457
Author: Kathleen Harris
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?199 (Mandatory Minimum Sentencing)

TORIES TARGET CODDLED CONS

They Also Aim To Put Brakes On The Gun-Registration
Program

OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government will move
swiftly to lock up dangerous cons for longer jail terms and end
Canada's cushy "Club Fed" prison  system.

Sketching out plans for a sweeping overhaul of the  criminal justice
system, Harper told the Canadian  Professional Police Association
yesterday he will also  shelve Liberal plans to decriminalize
marijuana and  crack down on drug dealers, pot grow-ops and violent
offenders.

A tighter parole system will remove statutory release  provisions that
allow most criminals to walk free after  serving two-thirds of a sentence.

"If we are to protect our Canadian way of life, we need  to crack down
on gun, gang and drug crime," he said.  "Canadians are tired of talk.
They want action, and  they want it now."

Justice Minister Vic Toews confirmed the government  will also follow
through with a campaign pledge to kill  the gun registry and free up
more cash for front-line  police officers. Admitting there are
"complicating  issues" associated with repealing the registry, he
hopes to rally a "working majority" of support from  Liberal, NDP and
Bloc Quebecois ranks to abolish it  through legislation in Parliament.

"The gun registry has been a dismal failure, a waste of  taxpayers'
money and a waste of peace officers' time,"  he said.

CPPA president Tony Cannavino applauded the bulk of the  Tory
proposals, which he believes will boost public  safety by ensuring
"serious crime means serious time."

But he vowed to lobby Tory and opposition MPs to block  the abolition
of the gun registry, arguing it's a  valuable crime-fighting "tool."

"We're going to still have good discussions with the  government," he
said.

The Conservative crime-busting plan, which will be  dribbled out
piecemeal instead of as an omnibus bill,  also pushes mandatory
minimum sentences for drug and  gun offences and eliminates house
arrest for violent or  repeat offenders.

The Tories will also introduce a "zero-tolerance"  policy for child
porn, create a bigger DNA bank for sex  offenders and raise the age of
consent for sex to 16  from 14.

As well, they aim to kill the "faint hope clause" that  allows
murderers sentenced to life sentences to seek  parole after 15 years.
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MAP posted-by: Tom