SOFT COURTS FUEL GUN CRIME

Liberals Fail to Fight Easy Bail

(Toronto)_With Toronto reeling from 7 murders in 7 days, Ontario P.C. Attorney General critic Bob Runciman (MPP, Leeds-Grenville) today called on the McGuinty government to vigourously fight court decisions that fail to recognize the gravity of gun crime and deter violence.

Runciman, a former Solicitor General, describes the recent decisions to grant bail to three people charged in the Yonge Street Boxing Day death of Jane Creba and the government’s failure to appeal the decisions, as sending “all the wrong messages”.

“The McGuinty government and their strutting and windy Attorney General try to portray themselves as tough on crime when in reality they are anything but” he charged.

“Behind the curtains the McGuinty government is philosophically offender focused, not victim focused” he argued. “And it’s reflected in last year’s attempt to cut $330 million from the justice budgets, their gutting of Victims’ Services, the failures of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board and their absence from the fight against illogical and frequently dangerous bail release decisions”.

Runciman called on the McGuinty government to have Crowns vigourously oppose bail for gun crime charges and if unsuccessful, appeal every bail release decision.

The veteran MPP also suggested that the government introduce a Justice Accountability Act requiring an annual reporting of the number of crimes committed while on bail, probation or conditional release.

“The time is long overdue to get beyond the phony rhetoric and start taking effective measures to deter gun crimes, keep violent thugs off our streets and make sure the courts understand we’re fed up and we’re not going to take it anymore” he stressed.