Pierre Poilievre pledges to “stop the crime” at Brampton rally

Dufferin-Caledon Conservative candidate Kyle Seeback attended rally at the Embassy Grand Convention Centre

By ZACHARY ROMAN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives have announced their plan to deal with crime in Canada.

On April 9, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre held a rally in Brampton at the Embassy Grand Convention Centre. The rally, dubbed “Stop the Crime”, was attended by many supporters and numerous Conservative candidates – including Dufferin-Caledon candidate Kyle Seeback.

Poilievre said, if elected, the Conservatives will repeal the Liberals' Bill C-75, which he called a catch-and-release act that allows criminals to repeatedly be let out on bail.

He said the Conservatives will repeal house arrest for serious offenders and “career criminals”, and create a new offence for intimate partner violence.

The Conservatives would also take steps to stop extortion by creating minimum penalties for the crime, noted Poilievre.

Poilievre said Conservatives would bring in mandatory life sentences for human traffickers, gun smugglers, and fentanyl mass-marketers and producers. 

“When you're mass-marketing fentanyl, 40 milligrams of which is enough to kill 20 people, you are effectively committing mass murder. You're firing into a crowded room,” said Poilievre.

Poilievre boasted his Conservatives would usher in the largest crackdown on crime in Canadian history. 

“Today, I announce the ‘three strikes, you're out' law. Anyone convicted of three serious offences will go to jail for at least 10 years, and maybe for life, and will never be eligible for bail,” said Poilievre. “We won't have to worry about them getting early parole because there will be no parole.”

Poilievre explained any potential release for these persons would be conditional on perfect behaviour in prison, repeated drug tests, and proof of learning a trade or vocation.

“The message is this: after you've done three offences, you're going away for life unless you can prove to society that you are no longer a danger,” said Poilievre. “That is how we are going to stop the crime and protect our communities forever.”

Poilievre said the Conservatives will shut down supervised drug consumption sites and invest in treatment and recovery options for 50,000 Canadians. He said the Conservatives will hire 2,000 additional Canada Border Services Agency officers to help secure Canada's borders and stop smuggling. 

Poilievre and the Conservatives would cancel the Liberals' gun buyback program.

“We know that licensed, law-abiding, trained and tested firearms owners are not the problem. That's because criminals don't typically go and get a license before they rob a bank – they take stolen guns from America,” said Poilievre. “We want to protect Canadians from criminals, not turkeys from hunters. It's time to respect the law-abiding people of our country.”

At Poilievre's rally, Peel Regional Police Association (PRPA) president Adrian Woolley endorsed Poilievre and the Conservatives.

“Pierre will restore mandatory minimums. He will slam the revolving door of criminality and put violent offenders where they belong, behind bars,” said Woolley. “He will put victims before criminals, families before politics and safety before ideology.”