To the Editor,
I am writing because I believe Conservative MP James Lunney is not representing the views of his constituents in supporting the Conservative party’s crime bill.
The bill is a step backwards in reducing crime rates, as the Canadian Bar Association has pointed out, and will end up costing our provinces and nations millions of dollars incarcerating criminals.
As a Conservative MP who campaigns as being tough on crime and fiscally responsible, he seems to be going against all that he stands for.
Taking money away from rehabilitation resources only makes tougher, meaner criminals.
There is no evidence that the model created in the U.S. has worked at all, and even conservative Texans are ridiculing this legislation in the international media.
What we need is what we already have, and what has made Canada one of the safest nations in the world to live in.
We need to help people who suffer from mental illness, addictions, and poverty, not jail them. Not to mention mandatory minimums will unfairly imprison a higher percentage of aboriginals.
Michael Vance
Nanaimo