OPPOSITION MPS SOFTEN TORY TOUGH-ON-CRIME BILL

Committee Loosens Rules for House Arrest

One of the Conservative government's key law-and-order initiatives
has been dealt a critical blow by opposition parties, who have
effectively gutted a bill that would have severely curtailed the use
of house arrest and jailed about 5,500 more people annually.

The three opposition parties on the House of Commons justice
committee, which held public hearings on the bill, have dramatically
amended the proposal so that the vast majority of criminals will
remain eligible to serve their time in the community instead of going to jail.

It is the first of the Harper government's justice bills to be
significantly altered by the opposition, who hold the balance of
power in Parliament and have warned that they will not back any
punishments they believe are too severe for the crime.

NDP MP Joe Comartin, the committee's co-chairman, said the opposition
parties have rejected the "radical, extreme overreaction" of the
Conservatives in their efforts to eliminate conditional sentences for
about 80 crimes for which the maximum prison term is 10 years or
more, including most car thefts, arson, break and enter and theft over $5,000.

Under the amended bill, only serious violent and sexual offenders
will be excluded from house arrest, said Mr. Comartin, who predicted
that only 1,000 convicted criminals will lose their eligibility each
year for crimes such as assault causing bodily harm, sexual assault,
robbery and dangerous use of a vehicle causing bodily harm.

As it stands, roughly 15,500 people receive house arrest sentences
annually, and judges must consider the prospect for anyone sentenced
to less than two years.

While Justice Minister Vic Toews can still take his original bill to
the House of Commons for a final vote, the justice committee's
decision shows that the Conservatives' plans are doomed, Mr. Comartin said.

Mr. Toews lamented the potential failure of a flagship piece of
legislation, which was one of his party's big hopes for success on
the law-and-order front.

"It is disappointing to see the opposition so out of touch with
Canadians when it comes to tackling crime," he said yesterday.

"What it essentially means is that very serious crimes are still open
to house arrest."

Mr. Toews said he hasn't given up on the prospect of bringing his
original bill to the House of Commons for a vote.

"I am counting on people with a little more common sense than that
committee demonstrated," he told reporters.

The Conservatives have rallied against conditional sentences for
years, complaining that in the 10 years they have existed in Canadian
law they have been handed out freely for serious violent crimes,
including child molestation and rape.

Conditional sentences were brought in by former justice minister
Allan Rock in 1996, in part to ease prison overcrowding, and were
supposed to be reserved for non-violent, minor crimes.

Mr. Comartin said he believes that the justice committee's amended
bill addresses the concerns of Canadians about conditional sentences
being handed out inappropriately.

Under the current law, conditional sentences are also not available
for crimes for which there is already a minimum mandatory penalty
under the Criminal Code, including several gun-related crimes.