CANDIDATES TACKLE CRIME

All five men running for Langley's federal riding were able to
attend.

Crime was a central theme at the all-candidates forum put on at
Kwantlen Polytechnic University Oct. 1.

The school's criminology department organized the meeting that
attracted about 175 people and was moderated by the CBC's Mark
Forsythe, a Fort Langley resident.

While some audience members asked the candidates what they would do to
get tough on crime, others questioned what the parties would do since
longer jail sentences don't serve as a deterrent. They were also asked
about reintegrating people into the community.

Conservative candidate Mark Warawa said a great deal of crime is
linked with drug use but the Harper government has been making changes
and toughening the law.

"The job of restoring Canada's justice system has just begun," Warawa
said.

He added that the Conservative government plans to replace the Youth
Justice Act, and disagrees with the excessive use of house arrest for
serious crimes such as kidnapping and arson.

Warawa also said that the government has provided funding to support
programs that help people reintegrate into the community.

NDP candidate Andrew Claxton, Green candidate Patrick Meyer and
Liberal Jake Gray all said that dealing with the underlying causes of
crime were vital to prevent crime.

Claxton said the NDP's plan is to deal with the root cause of crime -
economics - and help provide people with opportunities in education,
work, housing and other facets of life so they don't have to resort to
crime.

"So we don't have stupid, desperate people making stupid, desperate
decisions," he said.

In response to a question about crime victim services and sexual abuse
crime victims, Meyer and Jake Gray called for funding to be restored
to the programs and agencies that assist victims.

Ron Gray, leader of the Christian Heritage Party, said the root causes
of crime must be dealt with better but also there must be tougher
sentencing for serious crimes because there is a public safety element.

Ron Gray added that criminals shouldn't get credit towards their time
unless they agree to take programs while in prison and only time spent
free of drugs while in prison should count towards a person's sentence.

During the two-hour forum, audience members asked about and candidates
touched on the 2011 time line for leaving Afghanistan, health,
pollution and the environment, the economy, the Interurban rail line,
light rail transit and public transit, education, infrastructure, the
Kelowna Accord on First Nations, agriculture, and genetically modified
food.