FEDERAL BILL TO GET TOUGH ON DRUNK, DRUGGED DRIVERS

A proposed bill that is widely expected to have survived its final
vote in Parliament last week will, if passed, toughen up punishments
for impaired drivers across the country.

According to area MP Rob Merrifield it's only a matter of time before
the Tackling Violent Crime bill becomes law.

The bill is a combination of five other proposed crime bills that were
introduced in the last session of Parliament. Combined together, the
new bill has been declared a confidence motion. This means, once it's
read for a third time in the House of Commons, MPs must vote
favourably, or see the government fall and an election triggered.

The new bill will cast a wider net when doling out punishments for
impaired driving, according to Alberta Justice media relations.

Alain Charette said that if the bill passes, drivers who refuse
roadside sobriety tests will face the same punishments as if they had
been found impaired.

Moreover, the punishment themselves will become stricter. For a
first-time offence, the fine will increase from a minimum of $600 to
$1,000. A second offence will require a minimum of 30 days jail time,
rather than the current 14. And a third offence will earn an impaired
driver 120 days behind bars, compared with the current 90-day minimum,
Charette said.

Furthermore, police will now have a greater number of tools to catch
impaired drivers, Charette said. Whether drunk or under the influence
of drugs, provisions in the bill will require drivers to consent to
either a field sobriety test (which includes walking a straight line);
submitting a breath, blood or urine sample; as well being subject to
examination by a drug recognition expert.

If found guilty of impaired driving causing bodily harm or death to
another, a driver currently faces 10 years in jail (if victim is
injured) or life (in the case of death.) These sentences will not change.

However, if a driver is accused of the above offences and has refused
any of the sobriety tests, he may now face those same jail time sentences.

Merrifield said the people of Yellowhead will welcome such a bill,
because residents are sick of crime.

"We've just had enough of it," he said.

And this frustration is not unfounded, he continued, because crime has
hit hard in the region in recent years.

"[We've had a] tremendous amount of drug problems in our area .
Crystal Meth has been a significant problem," he said.

"But not only that, we've had major incidents with James Roszko and
the Mayerthorpe situation and fallen officers . people have said
enough is enough, we've got to apply the laws more aggressively, and
make sure RCMP have the tools to be bale to keep our streets safe."

Groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the Alberta
Motor Association have also endorsed the violent crime bill.

"CAA has long maintained that strong legislation, strict enforcement
and continuing education are the first steps to end the practice of
driving while under the influence of alcohol or drug," the association
indicated in a release.

MPs are expected vote on the bill in December. It also includes
proposals for higher mandatory prison sentences, tougher sentencing
and management of sexual and violent offenders, and raising the age of
consent from 14 to 16 years old.