Federal justice legislation: Minister Madu

The Voice of Canada News:

Minister of Justice and Solicitor General Kaycee Madu issued the following statement on proposed federal justice legislation:

“While Ottawa’s new justice bill (Bill C-22) contains some reasonable measures, I am deeply concerned about the decision to gut tough sentencing provisions for gun crimes. 

“Ottawa’s draft law removes mandatory prison sentences for serious crimes such as illegal possession of a loaded handgun, robbery with a firearm, and possession of a firearm obtained through crime. 

“Removing tough, mandatory penalties for actual gun crimes undermines the very minority communities that are so often victimized by brazen gun violence. I also find it disingenuous for Ottawa to exploit a genuine issue like systemic racism to push through their soft-on-crime bills.

“For the federal government to gut sentences for real gun crimes just days after scapegoating duly-licensed, law-abiding firearms owners (Bill C-21) is especially rich.

“Once again, Ottawa appears to be going soft on the criminals who perpetrate real gun violence while symbolically targeting law-abiding Canadians.”