STAND UP FOR CRIME CRACKDOWN

Yesterday, our editorial colleagues at the Toronto Star attacked
Prime Minister Stephen Harper for lacking a "broad vision" just as
Canada's 39th Parliament gets down to work today.

They were complaining that Harper has only five measly priorities.
This as opposed to, say, Paul Martin, whom the Star obviously adored
because he had roughly 500 priorities, none of which ever actually got done.

Anyway, that part of the editorial didn't surprise us.

What did was the Star's observation that Harper "will not face much
opposition bringing in tougher penalties for violent crime," which is
one of his five key initiatives.

Normally, we'd be cheering a statement like that because it would
mean Canada's biggest journalistic booster of the "hug a thug"
approach to crimefighting has finally seen the light.

But we know it probably means the Star has simply forgotten what's in
Harper's anti-crime package -- which he repeated yesterday in a
speech to the Canadian Professional Police Association. To wit:

- - Mandatory minimum sentences of up to 10 years for serious gun
crimes and drug trafficking offences.

- - Ending statutory release, which frees most criminals after they
serve two-thirds of their sentences.

- - Scrapping "house arrest" for violent crimes.

- - Imposing longer jail terms and heavier fines for marijuana grow-op
operators (actually, imposing any jail time would be an improvement),
as well as scrapping Liberal plans to decriminalize simple marijuana
possession.

- - Raising the age of sexual consent from 14 to 16, cracking down on
child pornographers, who rarely go to jail under existing sentencing
practices, and strengthening the federal DNA databank for sexual and
violent offenders.

Trust us, most of this perfectly sensible stuff is opposed by the
Liberals, NDP, Bloc and the Star.

And we're not not even throwing in Harper's plan to scrap the long
gun registry, which most of this crowd also opposes.

The reality is the Conservatives are going to face a huge fight
getting most of this package through Parliament -- especially from
the Star's editors, once they remember what's in it.

In fact, the Conservatives will need the public's support or it will
never happen. Time to let your MP know what you think.