“Crime and Partisanship” real focus of Harper’s omnibus bill, says Green Party

OTTAWA – The Green Party has condemned Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s refusal to allow amendments to the minority Conservative government’s omnibus crime bill. “It is shameful that Mr. Harper is using serious concerns about violent crime and the need for victim support to score political points for his party,” Green Party leader Elizabeth May said today. “Violent crime and the need for criminal justice reform deserve level-headed and reasoned analysis and should not be construed as a partisan issue or pushed through Parliament in an omnibus bill.” The Green Party’s recently released policy document, Vision Green, proposes a thorough and long-term approach to criminal justice reform, focusing on crime prevention by targeting poverty, aboriginal issues and at-risk youth. “The measures proposed in Harper’s crime bill would make changes in a number of areas and should be examined independently on their merits,” said Green Party justice critic Jared Giesbrecht. “For example, it is important to allow debate on mandatory minimum sentencing, which ties the hands of trial judges. In the US, this has only led to more incarceration not less crime.” Recent figures from Statistics Canada show that violent crime in Canada is declining. The homicide rate was at a 35-year low in 2003 and shooting deaths declined last year. “Justice cannot stand apart from our social context,” said Giesbrecht. “We must work together to address the underlying causes of crime such as poverty and inequality. The Green Party opposes scare-mongering tactics in Parliament and is committed to a balanced approach that ensures serious crimes are dealt with fairly with proportionate sanctions.” The Green Party’s Vision Green includes a commitment to promote the use of restorative justice programs for first-time non-violent offenders, in which wrongdoers make reparation to victims and their community. The Greens also pledge to set up task forces to address the treatment of aboriginals in the Canadian justice system.