The Harper government says its plans to get tough on crime through new legislation now before the House will make communities everywhere safer for everyone.
The new session of Parliament, now underway, will include the introduction of legislation aimed at making life much harder for offenders, says Justice Minister Rob Nicholson.
"Restoring Canadians' confidence in their justice system has been an important priority for our government,î said Nicholson.
"As we move forward to ensure that Canadians have safe streets and communities to live in, our government will put victims first, protect our children, and make Canada's justice system more efficient.î
The government's plans include passing legislation to toughen penalties for offenders guilty of child sex offences, and to ensure public safety in cases where offenders are declared not criminally responsible due to mental disorder.
Other legislation will deal with such things as victim restitution, victims' rights, and the toughening of extradition rules.
Few law-abiding citizens would argue against efforts that make sure the justice system works for victims while at the same time ensuring that offenders are made to pay for their crimes.
In the case of child sex offences, Canadians everywhere, including right here in West Central Alberta, want penalties and punishments to be the harshest the law can provide for.
As such, MPs of all parties should be encouraged to work together to make sure Canadian criminal law, including penalties for offenders, puts victims first and foremost.
At the same time, increasing penalties and punishments will only work if the people who enforce the laws are given the resources they need.
For example, courts need to be adequately staffed and equipped to meet the needs of both Crown and defence. And since funding of provincial courts is the responsibility of the province, cooperation from the Redford government will be a must if the Harper government's plans are to achieve long-term success in Alberta.
If, on the other hand, the province fails to make support for law enforcement and the courts a top priority, the end result may end up being an even more overburdened court system that makes victims wait for justice and, in some cases, may even lead to criminals going free because of court delays.
"Crime has devastated the lives of far too many people in this country,î says Nicholson. "We must continue and expand on our many successful efforts to date to restore public faith in our criminal justice system for the benefit of all Canadians.î
If MLAs and MPs really want to end the devastation of lives caused by crime, they will need to work together. And they should.
