so it is not surprising that the liberals at Queen's Park need to have their feet put to the fire when it comes to dealing with street violence.
We need to fight crime with resolve
Ontarians have a right to know if our bail system is working
By JOHN TORY
Most of us, at one time or another, have made a New Years Resolution.
During the final days of December, you look back on the year now ending, and resolve to make smarter decisions and do things better than you did before.
Much like Ontarians, governments could also stand to benefit from a few New Years Resolutions.
To effectively lead a government, I would argue that a Premier must treat every day like a New Years Eve. You have to be serious about doing what you said you would do and knowing there is always room to improve.
This year our Progressive Conservative caucus proposed a constructive New Years Resolution for the Dalton McGuinty government.
It was this:
Considering the number of Ontarians who are worried about the new wave of gang and gun violence;
And considering that one of the most shocking aspects of this wave of violence has been the appalling number of criminal incidents where the accused was already out on bail;
Couldn't the McGuinty government resolve to, at the very least, track and publicly release information on how many bail and sentencing deals are taking place in our province?
Couldn't the government also share comprehensive statistics on how many people charged with violent offences are already out on bail?
Unfortunately the McGuinty Liberal majority was ordered to vote this resolution down.
It mystifies me why. I don't believe any of these requests are impractical or out of line. Government already has the resources to track these incidents; I would argue they have a responsibility to give the public some peace of mind that the system is working as well as it should.
As things stand, we have reason to be concerned. Over the past year we have read stories about "catch and release" justice, where individuals were released on bail or court orders, only to be charged with further serious crimes.
Of the 46 individuals accused of homicides in Toronto as of late November, a full 70% were already out on bail, probation or court order -- and 14 of those were under multiple court orders.
Worse, the problem does not seem to be getting better.
Sad anniversary
Boxing Day marked the first anniversary of the tragic shooting of Jane Creba, who was killed in downtown Toronto while shopping with her family.
This senseless crime shocked the entire nation.
Now we have the further shock of knowing three of the individuals charged in connection with her shooting are themselves out on bail.
The media have rightly committed considerable resources to ensuring these outrageous stories come to the public's attention. Our caucus also continues to raise this issue every chance we get.
But the fact is there remains far too much we still don't know about our own justice system. And the McGuinty government appears unwilling to even try to find out.
I concede that more transparency, on its own, will not solve the problems.
That's why our call for more accountability is part of a much larger action plan proposed by our caucus last year.
It includes hiring more police officers, cracking down on bail and sentencing deals, and providing more programs for at-risk families and youth.
I will concede that in recent weeks, Premier McGuinty has undertaken some positive first steps on this file.
Most importantly, he backing the federal government in demanding "reverse onus" bail for crimes involving guns, as well as finally allocating some funds for community programs, albeit 10 months after he said he would.
But we must not content ourselves with doing "too little too late," nor with the appearance of action when we still have no transparency or accountability to help us understand whether current measures are working.
The New Years Resolution that I am calling for Dalton McGuinty to make does not involve interfering with the judicial process or singling out judges.
It is about giving people faith that their justice system is working in the interest of public safety.
It is about resolving, in this New Year, to put the principles of accountability and public safety above all else.
That, to me, is a New Years Resolution worth keeping.
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