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Stumping in Calgary, Poilievre targets crime, bail reform

Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre repeatedly blamed the federal government for increased violence in Calgary and elsewhere

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Canada must tighten its bail system to prevent those with a history of violent crime from reoffending, Pierre Poilievre said during a stop in Calgary on Wednesday.

The federal Conservative leader made the comments during a campaign-style speech, echoing recent calls for bail reform from all 13 of Canada’s premiers and many of the country’s police services.

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“Here in Calgary, we’ve seen a whole spate of violent crimes targeting innocent people that are the direct result of (Prime Minister Justin) Trudeau’s broken bail system and the ridiculous catch-and-release policies that he’s implemented,” Poilievre charged.

The remarks come amid a recent spike in violent crime in Calgary; local police responded to 123 shootings in the city through the first week of December 2022, a marked increase from 2021 and well above the five-year average of 73. Police Chief Mark Neufeld told Postmedia at the time he believes organized crime was driving that increase, with a quarter of shootings linked to gangs.

That run of gun violence has continued into the new year, including a pair of early morning shootings Wednesday. The trend has made public safety into a political focal point, particularly in downtown Calgary, with police and the provincial UCP government recently announcing plans to deploy a dozen Alberta sheriffs in the city’s core.

Poilievre repeatedly placed onus for that increased violence with the federal government.

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“This is a problem from coast to coast. You can’t blame a local police force, a municipal government or even the province,” Poilievre said, suggesting a rising cost of living is driving spikes in crime and drug use.

Federal Conservative party leader Pierre Poilievre walks to a press conference on St. Patrick’s Island in Calgary on Wednesday, February 15, 2023.
Federal Conservative party leader Pierre Poilievre walks to a press conference on St. Patrick’s Island in Calgary on Wednesday, February 15, 2023. Gavin Young/Postmedia

Trudeau’s Liberal government said last month it’s currently giving “serious consideration” to bail reform, with Justice Minister David Lametti saying he’d be discussing potential changes in a meeting with provincial justice ministers.

In January, the Calgary Police Service joined calls for bail reform, describing a local effect from repeat offenders, including a resource drain from assigning officers to ensure those on bail are complying with release conditions.

The issue presented itself directly with 2022’s final homicide on Dec. 25, when Yosief Hagos allegedly shot and killed Samuel Welday Haile in the southeast community of Forest Lawn while out on bail.

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Poilievre’s messaging on bail reform is “hyperbolic,” but not without merit, said Mount Royal University criminologist Doug King.

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He said there’s no doubt some tweaking of the current bail system is needed, but said it’s unfair to place the entire blame for its current failings on the sitting federal government.

“From my perspective, I think we have to be a little bit more measured with how we characterize Canada’s bail system. Most people who are granted bail meet the conditions of their bail release and don’t engage in any kind of criminal activity,” King said.

“To blame it all on one government, it flies in the face of the fact that these bail provisions have been in place for probably 35, 40 years, and I believe that includes some Conservative governments.”

Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms enshrines the right for those charged with crimes to receive bail unless there is just cause to deny that, King said. Only a very limited number of serious offences — such as murder or sedition — reach that threshold, and in those cases the defence has the onus to advocate for the release of the accused.

King said he thinks it would be reasonable to broaden the scope of offences for which the defence would have to argue for the accused to receive bail, including prior convictions for firearm use.

“If you step back from the red-meat rhetoric and look at if there could be some reasonable changes made, I think the answer to that is yes,” he said.

Poilievre also set his sights on affordability and energy policy in his speech.

The Opposition leader said he recently met with Premier Danielle Smith in Ottawa, and said he backed Smith’s concerns over pending federal legislation dubbed “just transition,” which intends to aid workers in the global shift away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy.

— With files from The Canadian Press

jherring@postmedia.com

Twitter: @jasonfherring

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