September 13, 2007
Manitoba Mission To Ottawa To Press For Tougher Sentences, Action On Auto Theft
As promised in the recent provincial election, Premier Gary Doer will lead a Manitoba community mission to Ottawa on Sept. 20 to press for urgent national action on auto theft and tougher sentences for serious youth crimes.
The mission will include Attorney General Dave Chomiak, opposition party leaders Hugh McFadyen and Jon Gerrard, Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz, Brandon Mayor Dave Burgess, Chief Dennis Meeches of Long Plain First Nation, acting chief of the Winnipeg Police Service Menno Zacharias, chief of the Brandon Police Service Keith Atkinson, Larry Vickar of Vickar Community Chevrolet, and auto-theft activist and victim Kelly Van Camp.
“Like we have done on issues such as Shilo and the Canadian Public Health Agency, Manitobans need to work together,” Doer said. “Together, we are sending an urgent, united message to Parliament that serious crimes must be met with serious consequences.”
While in Ottawa, the premier will meet with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the full delegation will meet with the federal Justice Minister and Attorney General Rob Nicholson, representatives of the Liberal party and NDP, as well as MPs from Manitoba.
The province’s own approach to reducing auto theft and youth crime focuses on four broad areas:
· prevention – with programs such as Lighthouses, friendship centres and education pilot projects, as well as initiatives like vehicle immobilizers;
· intervention – with programs such as the highly-successful Turnabout program and intense supervision for repeat offenders;
· suppression – with more targeted funding for police officers, corrections and Crown attorneys dealing specifically with auto theft; and
· consequences – with up to a lifetime suspension of drivers’ licences for repeat offenders.
“Where we have been able to take action ourselves, such as with impaired driving, we are making a difference,” Doer noted, citing the success of provincial initiatives dealing with drinking and driving, which have helped reduce related fatalities and injuries by 25 per cent from 1999 to 2003.
“Where we rely on the federal government to take action, such as making changes to the Criminal Code, we need a stronger partnership in order to strengthen the consequences for those who commit serious crimes,” the premier said.
Specific changes Manitoba will ask the federal government to make include:
· providing stronger penalties for youth involved in serious crimes, especially those involving auto theft;
· allowing first-degree murder charges for gang-related homicides;
· eliminating two-for-one remand credits;
· classifying auto theft as an indictable violent offence; and
· making shooting at a building and drive-by shootings indictable offences.
In addition, Manitoba will request the federal government examine the issue of drivers who refuse to take a breathalyser test, with a view to strengthening existing laws. In light of concerns over missing Aboriginal women, Manitoba will also ask Ottawa to join the province in acting quickly when the recommendations are released by senior federal-provincial-territorial justice officials who are currently examining the issue.
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION ATTACHED
Backgrounder
Criminal Code Changes Sought By Manitoba: - https://www.gov.mb.ca/asset_library/en/newslinks/OttawaMission.PR.JS.doc