ReageraMera

16 oktober höll Kanadas symboliska statsöverhuvud, the Governor General, det som kallas för 'The Speech from the Throne.

Traditionsenligt ges landets premiärminister, som för närvarande heter Stephen Harper, möjlighet att svara på talet vilket han gjorde den 17 oktober.

Harpers tal innehåller uttalanden om en mängd aktuella politiska frågor, inklusive frågan om hur brottslighet kan och ska bekämpas. I sitt tal sa Harper följande, med skarp kritik riktad mot oppositionen på just det ämnet (där fet stil förekommer är det undertecknad som gjort markeringarna):

Tackling crime
Last but not least, Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw your attention to the fifth part of our government's long-term agenda for a better Canada, a point that affects many Canadians.

Canadians have always been proud of their safe streets and communities-something that long distinguished us from our friends across the border.

Today, however, crime is erasing the promise of our Constitution, the promise of peace, order and good government.

Canadians want their safe streets and communities back.

They want leadership that's tough on crime, and reliable on national security - and that's exactly what they're going to get from our government.

Under our government, the protection of law-abiding citizens and their property is once again becoming the top priority of our criminal justice system.

And this will be the agenda we will pursue if parliament adopts this Throne Speech.

In short, the opposition can't allow it to pass, and then expect to obstruct our core priorities.

Mr. Speaker, that brings me to our first piece of legislation.

Just as the Accountability Act cleaned up corruption in government, the Tackling Violent Crime Act will be a first step to cleaning up crime in our streets and communities.

And it will be a matter of confidence, Mr. Speaker.

Because the time for talk has passed and the time for action has arrived.

Canadians are fed up with a justice system that puts the rights of criminals ahead of the rights of law-abiding citizens.

Fed up with a revolving door bail system and soft sentences for serious offenders.

And fed up with feeling unsafe in their homes and public places.

In the first session of Parliament, our government introduced 13 justice bills.

Seven have been passed into law, but six, which included several key policy measures, were held up by the opposition.

Though we accommodated many of their amendments, the bills were held up by opposition-controlled house committees or the liberal majority in the senate for a total of 976 days.

That's simply not acceptable. Canadians have lost patience.

So Bill C-2, our Tackling Violent Crime Act, to be spearheaded by the Minister of Justice, will reintroduce the key elements of those bills.

It will, for example, take action on sentencing for gun crimes.

Too often, people convicted of violent crimes involving firearms do little or no time.

That's unacceptable. Under our law, serious gun crime will mean serious, mandatory prison time.

Furthermore, in too many cases bail has been granted to people charged with serious weapons offences.

And while on bail, some of them have committed appalling new crimes.

That's also unacceptable. Our bill will make it tougher for accused gun criminals to get bail.

The Tackling Violent Crime Act will also crack down on sexual predators.

For far too long now, these predators have gone after our children.

That's unacceptable. This legislation will protect our children by raising the age of protection.

Our legislation will also crack down on drug- and alcohol-impaired driving.

Too many innocent people have died at the hands of drunk or stoned drivers.

Again, that's unacceptable.

The Tackling Violent Crime Act will give police and prosecutors more tools to get impaired drivers off our roads, and keep them off.

And finally, and perhaps most importantly, too many of the most violent, repeat and dangerous offenders wind up back on our streets where they offend again and again and again.

Each time they do, Canadians look at their rap sheet and ask: why on earth was this person let out of prison?

There is nothing more unacceptable than that.

Again, let us be clear. We are talking about a few dozen of the most violent, dangerous individuals in this country.

Our bill will make sure they stay behind bars, where they belong.

Now, I have no doubt some people will say we're being too aggressive.

From high up in their academic ivory towers or the boardrooms of their law firms, they'll look down on the streets they never set foot on and say things like: "criminals are really just victims of injustice, of oppression, of social exclusion."

Well, Mr. Speaker, try telling that to the real victims: tell it to women who don't feel safe walking in their neighbourhoods at night, or having their children outside even during the day.

Tell it to the innocent teenager killed in a gang shootout on the streets of Toronto.

Tell it to the young girl in Quebec who was out riding her bike when she was stuck by a drunk driver.

Tell it to the two prairie boys who were kidnapped and horribly abused by the serial pedophile.

Tell it to the police, the prosecutors and the elected politicians of all stripes, at all levels, who've been clamouring for these laws for years.

There is no good reason for the official opposition to oppose Bill C-2.

In fact, they campaigned in favour of virtually all of these initiatives in the last election.

And they have had enough days, weeks, months - in some cases over a year - to delay their passage.

That's why we're making the Tackling Violent Crime Act a matter of confidence, Mr. Speaker.

We will be seeking timely passage of this legislation and, as is the case with confidence measures, the government will not accept amendments to the substance of the initiatives.

This Parliament must get done what it was elected to do.

Mr. Speaker, this government has been working, and this Parliament is sometimes helping, to make: our economy stronger, our system cleaner, our federation more united, our streets safer - to put families and taxpayers at the centre of our efforts, to voice our values and our interests effectively in the affairs of the world.

These are the right priorities, and our country is moving in the right direction.

Mr. Speaker, I urge this Parliament to support the Speech from the Throne.

Thank you.

Torgny Peterson