ANTI-GANG LEGISLATION TABLED BY GOVERNMENT

Anti-gang legislation that would see gang members who commit murder be
automatically charged with first-degree murder would effect places
like Hobbema, says Blaine Calkins.

The Wetaskiwin MP was responding to the proposed legislation, which
was tabled by the Federal Conservative government Feb. 26.

"The soft on crime approach has not worked. We have seen a
proliferation of gangs, not only in Hobbema because this hasn't always
been in Hobbema. This is something that has taken time to creep in and
it has crept into Calgary and the streets of Vancouver and Toronto."

The Conservative MP said the problem of gang violence goes hand and
hand with drugs.

"This is going to help in Hobbema in a number of ways. First, if the
legislation goes through, anyone that is associated with a gang and
commits a murder, it will be automatically considered first-degree
murder and that carries with it a life sentence, with no chance of
parole for 25 years.

"That is about as serious as it gets in our Criminal Code and I think
we need to send the message loud and clear. If you are going to
associate with gangs and through that gang association commit murders,
society has no more patience for that. If we catch you, you are off
the street for a long time."

Calkins also said the bill deals with driveby shootings, something
that has shaken Hobbema, in the past few years.

"We are going to make sure that people who indiscriminately shoot at a
house face the consequence," he said.

Calkins admitted prosecutors would have the task of proving a gang
connection, but thinks that won't be a huge roadblock.

"We do have some anti-gang legislation right now and it has been
successful in dealing with gangs, like the Hell's Angels, so this will
be a bit of test and a bit of a challenge, but I think a good
investigator and a good prosecutor will be able to ease any concerns
that a judge may have," he said.

The bill still has to be voted on in the House of Commons and will
need the support of the opposition parties, something Calkins said
hasn't always been there in the past.

"In the last three years that I have been there, I was on the justice
committee and they used every procedural trick in the book to try and
side track and derail our tough-on-crime agenda, and now they are
standing up in the House and criticizing us for not getting the job
done when it was them all a long standing in the way."