One of the key organizations behind the movement, Leadnow, explains on their website why they have helped to organize over 120 nationwide protests against the Harper government’s proposed crime legislation.
“The Omnibus Crime Bill is a massive combination of bills, all of which failed to pass when the Conservatives had a minority of seats in Parliament.
“When combined, the Crime Bill rejects proven crime prevention and rehabilitation strategies, and instead imposes mandatory sentences that will create hardened criminals, target the most vulnerable in our society, and force prison expansions that will cost our provinces dearly.
“Conservative Texans are warning us not to repeat their mistake. Even they say the crime bill is too harsh, costly and ineffective,” states the group.
“The Canadian Bar Association, representing 37,000 legal professionals, says that through its ‘overreach and overreaction to imaginary problems, Bill C-10 could... eventually create the very problems it’s supposed to solve’.
The organization continues by saying, “Shawn Atleo, the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, is deeply concerned that the Crime Bill will disproportionately impact First Nations people, and calls for a focus on education.”
“We can do better than the ‘fill-the-prisons’ approach to justice that has failed everywhere.” - Leadnow
“Ontario and Quebec are refusing to pay for a bill (with) mandatory sentences (that) would force costly prison expansion on the provinces, taking resources from crime prevention, rehabilitation and vital services like health and education, adds the group.
As for the number of signatures that have been gathered thus far, the group said, “Over a hundred thousand Canadians have already signed petitions opposing the bill.”
“The Crime Bill is wrong on crime, and tough on democracy, taxpayers, and Canada’s most vulnerable people,” profess the group on their website.
“We are calling on our government to reject the crime bill, and create a Citizen’s Assembly for Canadian Justice that would bring diverse citizens and experts together to create a new plan for Canadian justice,” they add.
“We can do better than the ‘fill-the-prisons’ approach to justice that has failed everywhere,” reads the poster advertising the nationwide event.
See tomorrow’s Herald for a response from the MP for Prince Albert, Randy Hoback.
Jason.Stockfish@Paherald.sk.ca
Please do something about preventing attempted murder, attempted child abuse, abduction, attempted wife assault and all other crimes over Canada