WAR ON CRIME STALLS

Red Deer MP Bob Mills says his Conservative government wants to
change search and seizure laws to make it easier for police to crack
down on drug houses.

But opposition parties are holding up these pieces of legislation,
said Mills, who feels stymied by his federal Conservative
government's minority status.

"Our biggest frustration is the stalling," added Mills on Thursday.
The MP said he senses the public's growing frustration with crime in
their neighbourhoods.

"The laws aren't protecting people anymore."

Among the legislative changes that Mills' government wants to pass
are more flexible rules on police wire-tapping and search and seizure.

"This would help them shut down the pushers of drugs," said the MP.
"Police are 100 per cent behind this new legislation."

The government also wants to prohibit drug lords and other offenders
from using proceeds from their crimes to pay for their legal defence.
"The money would be turned over to the Crown," said Mills.

Organized criminals, who are "pretty much involved in the heavy drug
trade," should be easier to convict, he added.

Mills wants to force lawyers and banks to notify police when clients
pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash for real estate
transactions. It would be simple to check the paper trail to see
whether the money comes from crime, he said.

While civil rights advocates have criticized these proposed changes
as infringements on personal liberties, Mills said it's time to drop
the preoccupation with protecting the rights of the accused.

"Let's not worry so much about criminals' rights. People are asking
us to get tougher on criminals."

But he doesn't hold out hope any of these legislative changes will happen soon.

"We're only now seeing our first piece of legislation (to make
politicians more accountable) leave the Senate with amendments and
come back to the House to be debated again."

Politicians can't move fast on an amendment to keep their own kind in
line, he said, "never mind the criminals."