The 1999 Speech from the Throne:
Promoting Safer Communities

October 12, 1999

Feeling safe and secure in our homes and communities is essential to a high quality of life.

Canadians have a right to such feelings - to having their desire for justice and fairness reflected in our laws and our criminal justice system.

Our government has taken important strides in support of this Canadian priority. We have a balanced strategy, with the premise that a safer Canada is one where crime is not only punished but prevented.

A Record of Achievement

We have passed one of the toughest gun control laws in the world.

We have also:

• toughened sentences for those convicted of hate crimes;
• toughened impaired driving laws;
• tightened rules for early parole hearings;
• made it possible to obtain DNA samples from suspects in crimes of physical violence;
• and, cracked down on child prostitution and child sex tourism.

We introduced amendments to the Criminal Code that will strengthen the voice of victims of crime in the criminal justice system..

We announced that the Young Offenders Act will be replaced by a new Youth Criminal Justice Act that will deal more effectively with youth who repeatedly and violently break the law and encourage alternatives to jail, such as community service, for non-violent offenders.

We also created the National Crime Prevention Council, to develop strategies to help governments and communities prevent crime by getting at its root causes, like unemployment, poverty, inequality, family violence, and illiteracy.

Acting on the Council's recommendations, we implemented a $32 million a year Community Crime Prevention Initiative to address the root causes of crime through local action and involvement.

1999 SFT Commitments

The government will continue to work in partnership with Canadians to ensure that our communities remain safe and secure by:

• expanding the community-based crime prevention strategy;
• completing the reform of the youth justice system;
• launching a program of restorative justice to help victims of crime; and,
• increasing the capacity of the RCMP and other agencies to deal with domestic and international threats to the public security of Canadians.