I am tired of the antics of the Canadian Minister of Justice who seems to think that he is the only person in Canada who is interested in and working for the victims of violent crime. This is obviously not so and I decided to look at his crime bills, designed to fill the new prisons which his government is building, and his claim that he is protecting victims.  There is the premise which he doesn’t seem to grasp which is that there are no victims until the crime has been committed so in order to protect potential victims the crime must not happen.  That I believe is way to deep for this excuse for a Justice Minister to understand. It is also curiuos that he is getting so excited about crime when crime is diminishing in Canada inspite of him.

Here is the letter I wrote challenging him.

 

Rob Nicholson
Canadian Minister of Justice.
Ottawa.

Dear Minister,

I have watched you in amazement in committees and in the House demanding, posturing, spitting and exploding at the opposition parties and members of the House of Commons who were not instantly passing your Bills, which you claim are hard on criminals and helping victims; You are attacking and accusing the opposition of being soft on criminals, and uncaring about victims. It would make good theatre if it were not so out of place, misleading and factually untrue even in this current parliament, run by a government as arrogant, secretive, deceptive, divisive and dysfunctional as it is.

So I looked up all the bills you currently have before either house and there are 23 of them:
S-4, S-6, S-7, S-9, S-10, C4, C5, C16, C17, C21, C-22, C-23, C-23a, C-23b, C-30, C-39, C-48, C-50, C-51, C-53, C-54, C-59, and C-60. Of these 7 belong to the Minister of Public Safety but are in the same field as your bills.

I have attached a separate list in case you have forgotten some of the catchy, jingly names you have ascribed to these bills.

Bill S-7
(Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act)
gives victims the right to sue if they can wade through the complicated formula required to do so after the act itself.
Bill C-21
(Standing up for Victims of White Collar Crime Act)
Has provisions for restitution if there is any money recoverable.
Bill C-39
(Ending Early Release for Criminals and Increasing Offender Accountability Act)
Gives victims the right to speak at parole hearings, is this really a benefit?

With the exception of Bill C-60 all the rest have absolutely nothing in them for victims, increased jail time maybe and less parole options for prisoners maybe, but for victims nothing at all.

Bill C-60
(Citizen’s Arrest and Self-defence Act)
finally allows an attacked person to protect their property and themselves without fear of being arrested and put in jail themselves for doing so. About time too.

So, Minister of Justice, I am calling your bullshit and bluster and asking you to tell me where these victims’ benefits are in these Bills which you demand be now passed through Parliament at breakneck speed even though you have been sitting on some of them for many moons, even years.

Jeremy Arney
CAP candidate for SGI in 2008

Bills before the Canadian Parliament from Justice and Public Safety that are supposed to protect victims.

S-2. An Act to amend the Criminal Code and other Acts
(Protecting Victims From Sex Offenders Act)

S-6. An Act to amend the Criminal Code and another Act
(Serious Time for the Most Serious Crime Act)

S-7. An Act to deter terrorism and to amend the State Immunity Act
(Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act)

S-9. An Act to amend the Criminal Code (auto theft and trafficking in property obtained by crime)
(Tackling Auto Theft and Property Crime Act)

S-10. An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts
(Penalties for Organized Drug Crime Act)

C-4. An Act to amend the Youth Criminal Justice Act and to make consequential and related amendments to other Acts
(Protecting the Public from Violent Young Offenders))

C -5 An Act to amend the International Transfer of Offenders Act
(Keeping Canadians Safe (International Transfer of Offenders) Act)
The Minister of Public Safety

C-16. An Act to amend the Criminal Code
(Ending House Arrest for Property and Other Serious Crimes by Serious and Violent Offenders Act)

C-17. An Act to amend the Criminal Code (investigative hearing and recognizance with conditions)
(Combating Terrorism Act)

C-21. An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sentencing for fraud)
(Standing up for Victims of White Collar Crime Act)

C-22. An Act respecting the mandatory reporting of Internet child pornography by persons who provide an Internet service

C-23. An Act to amend the Criminal Records Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts
(Eliminating Pardons for Serious Crimes Act)
The Minister of Public Safety

C-23A. An Act to amend the Criminal Records Act
(Limiting Pardons for Serious Crimes Act)
The Minister of Public Safety

C-23B. An Act to amend the Criminal Records Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts
(Eliminating Pardons for Serious Crimes Act)
The Minister of Public Safety

C-30. An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts
(Ending Early Release for Criminals and Increasing Offender Accountability Act)
The Minister of Public Safety

C-39. An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts
(Ending Early Release for Criminals and Increasing Offender Accountability Act)
The Minister of Public Safety

C-48. An Act to amend the Criminal Code and to make consequential amendments to the National Defence Act
(Protecting Canadians by Ending Sentence Discounts for Multiple Murders Act)

C-50. An Act to amend the Criminal Code (interception of private communications and related warrants and orders)
(Improving Access to Investigative Tools for Serious Crimes Act)

C-51. An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Competition Act and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act
(Investigative Powers for the 21st Century Act)

C-53. An Act to amend the Criminal Code (mega-trials)
(Fair and Efficient Criminal Trials Act)

C-54. An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sexual offences against children)
(Protecting Children from Sexual Predators Act)

C-59. An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accelerated parole review) and to make consequential amendments to other Acts
(Abolition of Early Parole Act)
The Minister of Public Safety

C-60. An Act to amend the Criminal Code (citizen’s arrest and the defences of property and persons)
(Citizen’s Arrest and Self-defence Act)