Closing gaps in the provincial justice system is a high priority for the B.C. Conservatives.
The party held its annual general meeting at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre Saturday, reviewing and renewing policies that reflect the views of its growing membership.
Party leader John Cummins announced a pair of policies linked to upholding the law.
“As Conservatives we believe in the law – that it should be applied evenly, fairly and without discrimination,” he said in a press release.
The party wants police in the province to have the ability to lay charges following an arrest.
In the current system, police recommend charges to crown prosecutors who decide if the case merits charges.
Cummins said combined with more prosecutors, the policy will allow more criminal trials to go forward, which acts as a deterrent to prevent crime.”
The second policy goes after the illegal sale of fish.
Cummins said B.C.’s commercial salmon fishery was one of the greatest in the world, but through mismanagement by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and its failure to enforce the law, the fish and the industries they supported are threatened.
He said his party would enforce federal fishery laws to the letter, empowering wildlife officers and police in the province to enforce federal law.
“People illegally selling fish caught under food, social, and ceremonial licenses would be arrested and charged,” said Cummins.