When it comes to tackling crime in Canada, the Conservative government has been clear: we stand for the safety and security of law-abiding Canadians.

In the last session of Parliament, our government moved forward on a number of new laws to keep Canadian families safer and more secure.

In recent years, news reports of gang violence in cities like Vancouver, Winnipeg and Toronto have become alarmingly regular. To crack down on increasing gang violence, we introduced new legislation to fight gangs and organized crime. This includes making gang-related murders first-degree offences so that those found guilty would face 25 years before being eligible for parole. We are also introducing mandatory jail time for criminals who recklessly endanger innocent people through drive-by shootings.

Organized crime is often financed by drugs and car theft, so we are cracking down on criminals who steal cars, tamper with car information or try to profit from stolen vehicles.

When it comes to fighting drug crime, part of the Conservative government’s National Drug Strategy is to make sure that kids understand the dangers of illegal drugs. Now, we are combining education of our children with real jail time for dealers who sell to kids or haunt places where children are likely to be found, such as schoolyards and playgrounds.

Sexual predators are also a danger to innocent children and families. Building on our previous action of raising the legal age of consent from 14 to 16, we are making it mandatory to register convicted sex offenders on the national database. We are also making it mandatory for sexual offenders to give their DNA to the National DNA Data Bank. These are actions that will help police to prevent crimes and better protect families before the damage to the innocent is done.

There are many laws in Canada which clearly favour criminals over victims and must be changed. In 13 long years of Liberal inaction on crime, too many criminals got off too easy.

Criminals who commit serious crimes should have to do serious time. Following through on our 2008 election promise, we are making changes to the way criminals serve their sentences. Criminals convicted of first and second-degree murder will face a tougher ride when they try to get parole after serving only a portion of their sentence. We are also cracking down on criminals who are permitted to serve their sentences from the comfort of their living rooms, especially for serious crime like human trafficking and arson.

In addition, many criminals, including a recent case of a pedophile, have been getting extra credit for the time they serve behind bars before their sentencing. Sometimes, it was going as far as 2-for-1, or even, 3-for-1 credit. That’s why, this year, we also took action to make sure criminals served their full sentences, and didn’t get extra credit for time served. With the passage of this legislation, criminals will no longer be able to play the system.

While our Conservative government is working to deliver safer streets and better justice for law-abiding families and the victims of crime, the Liberals are continuing to play political games with Canadians’ safety. Their latest game has been to hold up the passage of laws that tackle the ongoing problem of criminal gangs and the violence and danger that they cause. In fact, while the Liberals pretend to put law-abiding families first in front of the cameras, their actions speak more clearly: the Liberals are soft on crime. We urge them to re-think their political games for the good of Canadian families across the country.

Regardless of Opposition tricks, the Conservative government will continue to stand up for law-abiding Canadian families, for safer streets, and for better justice for all Canadians.

Guy Lauzon, MP
Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry