Pubdate: Tue, 24 Mar 2009 Source: Kings County Record (CN NK) Page: A11 Column: Moore from Ottawa Copyright: 2009 CanadaEast Interactive, Brunswick News Inc. Contact: http://kingscorecord.canadaeast.com/onsite.php?page=contact&paper=record Website: http://www.kingscorecord.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4656 Author: Rob Moore, Fundy Royal MP Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?199 (Mandatory Minimum Sentencing) TOUGHER PENALTIES FOR SERIOUS DRUG CRIMES BEST WAY TO FIGHT GANGS As part of our government's ongoing efforts to crack down on gangs and organized crime, we recently re-introduced legislation that provides for mandatory minimum penalties for serious drug crimes. The illicit drug trade is the number one source of income for most gangs and other criminal organizations. This legislation will ensure that those who own grow ops or meth labs will face significant jail time. The new legislation increases penalties for a number of aggravating factors. This includes a two-year mandatory prison sentence for the offence of running a large marijuana grow operation involving at least 500 plants and a two-year sentence for those who deal harmful drugs such as cocaine, heroin or crystal meth, to youth or near areas such as a school. Furthermore, any drug offences involving weapons or violence will be subject to, at the very least, a one-year mandatory minimum sentence. The new legislation also includes tougher penalties for trafficking GHB and other date-rape drugs. We feel it is absolutely necessary to strengthen the sentences for those who deal these drugs because all too often they are used to commit the worst kinds of crimes, most often against women. Our government is sending a message to dealers: if you engage in this behaviour, you will face serious consequences. The best way to address organized crime is to cut off their source of income. This new legislation will ensure that those who are convicted of serious drug offences are kept off our streets, and that dealers are kept away from our children. The safety and security of Canadians is our government's foremost responsibility, and as the parliamentary secretary to the minister of justice, I will be working to ensure that these legislative protections are passed by Parliament as quickly as possible. www.robmooremp.com --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom