CRIME BILL PROTEST TURNS TO SHOUTING

A protest against Canada's proposed Crime Bill deteriorated into a
shouting match Friday as Oakville MP Terence Young and protest leader
Susan Berry butted heads over the intent of the bill.

The protest, which began at around 3:30 p.m. in front of Young's
Cross Avenue constituency office, drew a group of around 30 people
who voiced concerns that Crime Bill (Bill C-10) would put people in
jail unnecessarily.

"oeIt takes a "'tough-on-crime approach' that has been proven by
states that have implemented it not to work, not to make communities
safer," said Berry, a lawyer and member of Reclaim Our Democracy Canada.

"oeThe biggest example of that was state of Texas, which implemented
a mandatory minimum regime, particularly for substance abuse and
small property crimes. They ended up with more people in jail than in
university. Their state was spending billions of dollars on
incarceration and they changed course and started offering substance
abuse treatment to offenders."

The action in front of Young's office was said to be one of more than
120 similar events co-ordinated by Leadnow.ca and Reclaim Our
Democracy Canada across the country.

Oakville's protest saw residents sing protest songs and wave signs
reading "'Reform not Revenge,' Bill C-10 Creates Hard-Core Criminals
"" Rehabilitation is Required' and "'Jobs not prisons.'

Shortly after the protest began, Young emerged from his locked office
at which point he was presented with a copy of the Canadian Bar
Association's 10-point critique on the bill and a petition said to
contain more than 24,000 signatures from Canadians calling for the
proposed Crime Bill to be scrapped.

Young accepted the documents and invited Berry inside to discuss the
issues listed in the critique.

Local media were also permitted to attend the meeting, which began
with Young calling the bar association critique "oevery misleading
and not factual."

Berry argued the bill is undemocratic as it is being rushed through
Parliament before groups, like the Canadian Bar Association, have had
the opportunity to contribute important information such as a
national mental health care strategy.

Young said there is nothing rushed about the bill.

"oeThis bill is composed of nine bills representing hours of debate,
committee hearings, etc.," said Young.

"oeAfter an election, in which we promised to pass these measures
within 100 days, we are doing exactly what we promised the voters."

Young and Berry also engaged in a heated debate about the substance
of the bill with Young arguing it would keep dangerous people in
prison longer by introducing mandatory minimum sentences for those
convicted of such crimes as manslaughter, aggravated assault, arson,
fraud over $5,000, drug trafficking, drug production, sexual assault,
abduction of a person under the age of 14, offences that result in
bodily harm, and offences that involve the use of weapons.

Berry said it would put more people in jail for non-violent crimes.

"oeI would argue some of the drug offences you have created in this
act are for relatively minor things," said Berry.

"oeThis bill will create a mandatory minimum of two years in prison
for having six pot plants."

"oeThat's an absurd claim," said Young. "oeYou call yourself a lawyer?"

Young went on to say that section of the bill deals with drug
trafficking, meaning that evidence, such as scales and large
quantities of cash, would have to be found in addition to the six
marijuana plants.

"oeNo one is going to prison in Canada for having six pot plants," said Young.

"oeThat would only be as essential evidence that you are a drug
trafficker and I think the people of Canada want drug traffickers to
stop dealing drugs. They want it so crime doesn't pay and they want
traffickers away from our schools and that's what this bill does."

There was also debate over exactly how much this Crime Bill would
cost Canadian taxpayers.

Young said the cost was $78.6 million over five years.

Berry said the cost had actually been reported at $3 billion.

"oeThe parliamentary budget officer said it is going to be a $3
billion cost over five years," she said.

"oeThe parliamentary budget officer is wrong," said Young.

"oeHe has been wrong before."

Opposition politicians voted to find the Prime Minister and his
government in contempt of Parliament last March, for not giving up
the full cost of this legislation.

Berry also attacked the Conservative government and Young for not
showing any studies or evidence proving that introducing more
mandatory minimum sentences would make Canada a safer place.

Young said the bill was put together by the Ministry of Justice and
the Ministry of Public Safety and Security. He said there is plenty
of evidence to support the bill and suggested that he would provide
the names of studies at another time.

At the end of the day, Berry said the bill ignores reality because
crime is actually reduced by addressing child poverty, providing
services for the mentally ill, diverting young offenders from the
adult justice system and rehabilitating prisoners to help them rejoin society.

Young said his government is tackling this approach by funding
rehabilitation programs like CORCAN and the Alternative, Associates
and Attitudes Program, which deals with young offenders.

As the discussion progressed, Young expressed frustration that Berry
kept interrupting him. Berry expressed frustration that Young was
addressing the media and not her. She eventually got up from her seat
and let another protester into the locked office to confront Young.

At that point, the MP ended the meeting.