Time for Real Action on White Collar Crime, Greens
OTTAWA – The Green Party is disappointed by the Conservatives' modest plans for a White Collar Crime bill and is calling for a comprehensive approach to tackling economic crimes in Canada.
“Canada is widely understood to be soft on organized and white collar crime but simply increasing the length of a sentence does not solve this problem,” said Elizabeth May, Green Party Leader. “We need a government that also supplies law enforcement personnel and prosecutors with the tools to successfully prosecute. It helps nothing to have strong penalties upon conviction if prosecutors cannot get a conviction.”
The Green Party is calling for provisions that ensure restitution is a key element within sentencing for economic crimes as well as greater freedom in issuing subpoenas and reduced disclosure requirements.
“Economic criminal investigations are often quite complex and require highly specialized legal teams and sophisticated information management,” said Jared Giesbrecht, Justice Critic, Green Party of Canada. “Federal prosecutors must be given enough resources to conduct effective and timely prosecutions of these commercial fraudsters.”
The Green Party is calling for a White Collar Crime bill that will...
• Amend the laws to provide for stiffer sentencing and full restitution in white collar crimes. It is important that the sentences fit the severity of the crimes and judges understand that economic crimes are to be met with significant consequences.
• Provide greater resources for specialized RCMP officers and federal prosecutors so they might build up the necessary legal teams to conduct effective and timely prosecutions of white collar criminals.
• Allow for greater freedom in the issuing of subpoenas that would require witnesses to give a sworn statement during white collar criminal investigations.
• Reduce the disclosure requirements when prosecuting corporations. In a complicated stock market fraud or investment scam, disclosure can amount to thousands of documents that have to be gathered, sorted, organized, and copied so they can be given over to the defendant and his or her lawyers as soon as charges are laid in a case.
“This government continues to demonstrate that it is soft on white collar crime,” said Mr. Giesbrecht. “By refusing to deal with the real challenges law enforcement personnel and prosecutors face under our current system, this government is failing to protect Canadians.”
“We need to be much tougher on white collar crime than this government is proposing. Economic crimes cannot be tolerated by any responsible government,” said Ard Van Leeuwen, Finance Critic, Green Party. “Victims of investment fraud include people who are preparing for their retirement security. A broad clamp down on white collar crime will benefit all investors.”
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Contact:
Michael Bernard
Communications Officer
Green Party of Canada
613-562-4916 ext. 244
(c) 613-614-4916
michael.bernard@greenparty.ca
