CRACKING DOWN ON CRIME: WE'RE GETTING IT DONE

Greetings from Ottawa. Canada's government is committed to giving
police the tools they need to crack down on crime. This is why we have
recently introduced three new pieces of legislation that will respond
to the problems posed by youth crime, introduce mandatory minimum
sentences for serious drug crimes and combat the complex and serious
problem of identity theft.

Bill C-25 will amend the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) to allow
courts to consider deterrence and denunciation as objectives of youth
sentences. This change will give judges the flexibility to impose
appropriate punishments with the objective of preventing serious
offences committed by youth. Bill C-25 will also change the current
pre-trial detention provisions in the YCJA by making it easier to
detain youth in custody prior to their trials if they pose a risk to
public safety.

Bill C-26 will get tough on people who commit the serious crime of
producing and selling illegal drugs. The new legislation proposes
mandatory prison sentences for those who sell drugs for the purposes
of organized crime. It also proposes mandatory sentences for drug
dealers who specifically target youth or the places normally
frequented by youth, such as a school. Mandatory prison sentences send
a clear message to drug traffickers: your behaviour will not be
tolerated and you will be punished.

Bill C-27 aims to protect Canadians from identity theft by giving
police the tools they need to stop this activity before the damage is
done. Organized crime and modern technology are changing the criminal
landscape, with new and rapidly-evolving technologies making identity
theft easier than ever. The proposed legislation will create three new
offences that directly target aspects of the identity theft problem.
Soon the act of obtaining, possessing or trafficking identity
information for the purposes of committing a crime will be subject to
a five-year maximum sentence.

As Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice I will be
working hard to see that these bills become law. These initiatives are
crucial if we are to protect Canadians from criminals and we will
require support from the Opposition to pass these measures.

I invite you to visit my website at http://www.robmooremp.com to keep
up with developments in Ottawa. I also enjoy hearing from constituents
and welcome your feedback and questions on issues important to you.