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The Conservative Task Force
THE ISSUE
On August 25, 2005, Conservative leader Stephen Harper announced the formation of the Conservative Party of Canada’s Task Force on Safe Streets and Healthy Communities.
The Task Force co-chairs are Russ Hiebert, MP (South Surrey-White Rock-Cloverdale), and Jim Flaherty, Conservative candidate for Whitby-Oshawa. (Flaherty is a former Ontario Attorney General and former member of the Ontario legislature.)
“The continued increase in many crime indicators while the Liberals have been in power is a clear indication that the Liberal approach to combating crime, as on so many other issues, has failed,” said Harper when he announced the Task Force.
“Canadians have long been proud that, for the most part, we have enjoyed safe streets and a low crime rate. Unfortunately this is no longer true in many areas. The rise of crystal methamphetamine use, the spread of grow-ops, and the steady rise of gang violence are just three of the most pressing new problems affecting the safety and health of our communities. We need to understand more about how to combat these emerging trends.”
THE CHALLENGE
Every young Canadian deserves to grow up in a positive, supportive environment that offers every opportunity to achieve his or her full potential.
Sadly, the promise of many young lives is squandered, sometimes even cut short, by gang activity, the drug trade, and violence. The risk of violent victimization for children and youth increases as they get older.1 Even more troubling is the fact that the most frequent victims of youth crime are other young people.2
While the Liberals frequently trot out figures about crime, statistics don’t keep our children safe or our neighbourhoods secure. Canadian families know that our streets and our communities are not as safe as they could and should be. Despite Liberal rhetoric, which focuses on selective declines from one year to the next, the perception of Canadians is correct – our communities are less safe than they were a generation ago. Statistics Canada confirms that in 2004, “The violent crime rate was … 35% higher than 20 years ago.”3
Recent murders have highlighted the problem in a dramatic fashion. Last year we saw a 12 per cent increase in homicides, to 622 from 549 in 2003.4
This year continues to be marred by tragedy. The problem is particularly severe in Toronto, where the number of people killed by firearms has almost doubled – 50 victims so far this year, compared to 27 in all of 2004.5
Compounding the tragedies is the fact that many of these shootings involved young people - young victims’ promising lives abruptly cut short, and the lives of those involved irreparably changed forever.
Experts are struck by another stark reality that the statistics fail to disclose. The viciousness and brutality of youth-on-youth crime is increasing.6
Sadly, after 12 years of Liberal mismanagement and inaction, the crime problems facing Canadian society have deepened to such an extent that they cannot be remedied by quick fixes.
We can do better. We must do better for victims and their families. The tired old ways are not working. We need to put the focus on the protection of our families and the needs and rights of victims.
GOAL
The goal of the Task Force is to gain a better understanding of the emerging crime issues facing our nation. This includes listening to proposed solutions for enhanced law enforcement and sentencing, finding solutions that get to the root of crime in Canada, and understanding more about how to combat these emerging trends.
CONSULTATIONS
The co-chairs’ mandate was to travel across Canada to speak to a broad cross-section of people, including victims of crime, front-line law enforcement officers, youth at risk, and community workers. Many Conservative MPs attended Task Force discussions to hear these voices.
The input has been invaluable. We would not have been able even to begin to understand the emerging crime issues facing our nation without the vital input of those directly affected and those who work to prevent crime.
Since August, consultations have been held in more than 20 communities in eight provinces and one territory. The MPs who took part were moved by the stories, contributions, and advice of the more than 200 participants.
FINDINGS
The suggestions and advice received by the Task Force will be reflected in the policies that Conservative Leader Stephen Harper unveils later in the campaign.
1. Statistics Canada, “Children and youth as victims of violent crime,” The Daily (April 20, 2005), citing Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Juristat: Children and Youth as Victims of Violent Crime, Vol. 25, no. 1: www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/050420/d050420a.htm.
2. Canadian Centre of Adolescent Research, “Stats: Crime and Violence” (2000): www.ccar.briercrest.ca/stats/crime.shtml .
3. Statistics Canada, “Crime statistics,” The Daily (July 21, 2005), citing Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Juristat: Crime Statistics in Canada, 2004: http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/050721/d050721a.htm.
4. Juristat: Crime Statistics in Canada, 2004. See note Error! Bookmark not defined..
5. The Globe and Mail (December 5, 2005).
6. Emily Yearwood-Lee, “Viciousness of youth attacks increases while numbers remain static,” Canadian Press (December 7, 2003).
