Carney buckles to Conservative pressure with new bail, crime reforms
After years of soaring crime under Liberal rule, Prime Minister Mark Carney has finally caved to Conservative demands, announcing new crime reforms meant to tackle law enforcement staffing.
After years of soaring crime under Liberal rule, Prime Minister Mark Carney has finally caved to Conservative demands, announcing new crime reforms meant to tackle law enforcement staffing, sentencing and bail.
Speaking at a press conference in the GTA, Carney said Canadians “deserve to feel safe in their homes and communities,” pledging new legislation that would make bail more difficult to obtain for those accused of violent or organized crimes.
The reforms include reverse-onus bail for auto theft, human trafficking and extortion cases, forcing accused offenders to prove why they should be released rather than requiring the Crown to show why they should be detained.
Carney also announced his government will end house arrest for sexual assault convictions, calling such sentences “not justice” for victims, and move toward consecutive sentencing for multiple violent offences. “These measures will help restore Canadians’ confidence in our justice system,” he said.
The prime minister confirmed the hiring of 1,000 new RCMP officers, including 150 financial crime investigators, to target money laundering, cybercrime and organized violence. He said the investment would strengthen the RCMP’s “technical and investigative capacity” while provinces work with Ottawa to address costs associated with longer sentences.
The announcement follows new data from Statistics Canada showing that violent crime has risen by almost 55 per cent nationally since 2015, with sexual assaults up nearly 76 per cent, firearm offences up 130 per cent and extortion up more than 330 per cent.
The federal Conservatives, however, accused Carney of “rebranding” failed Liberal justice policies. A statement released by the party said, “It’s been ten years of Liberal soft-on-crime policies and bail reform and the results are clear: communities are less safe and criminals are less afraid.” The statement cited violent crime increases across Ontario and Manitoba, calling the Liberal approach “catch-and-release justice.”
Conservative justice critic Larry Brock said the government should have adopted the party’s Jail Not Bail Act, which sought to repeal what Conservatives call the “Principle of Restraint” in bail decisions. “Only Conservatives will scrap Liberal bail, make our streets safe and deliver a justice system that puts victims’ rights first,” the statement read.
As Carney spoke, Conservative Sen. Denise Batters posted on X:
“Watching Mark Carney pretend to be aghast at the thought of sexual offenders serving their ‘conditional sentences’ at home, in the same community where their victims reside makes me sick. The Liberal government allowed this to happen with their terrible laws. We in the Conservative Caucus fought against this for 10 years!”
Carney defended his record when asked about the criticism, saying his government was “correcting” weaknesses in earlier bail laws and investing “heavily in enforcement.”
Carney is set to meet with Ontario Premier Doug Ford later today to discuss funding for correctional facilities and policing, among other issues.
These justice reforms are expected to be tabled in Parliament this fall.
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