A central Alberta politician is maintaining the pressure on the federal government in hopes it will do something to keep Canada’s rural population safe.
Red Deer-Lacombe MP Blaine Calkins recently tabled a private pember’s bill in the House of Commons that is designed to protect rural residents from increasing crime.
Bill C-458 was tabled on June 14 and was given first reading that same day.
The bill proposes amending the criminal code to add evidence an offence was “directed at a property or person that was vulnerable because of their remoteness from emergency services as anaggravating circumstance for sentencing purposes.”
Calkins said this would mean longer sentences for criminals who target people living in remote or rural areas.
“I’m tabling this bill now; because the Liberal dominated public safety committee didn’t offer any real solutions in their twopage report on the study of rural crime. I find this to be an appalling lack of sensitivity and victims in rural areas deserve better” he said.
A task force was created in 2017 by Alberta Conservative MPs representing rural areas and they collaborated with Albertans concerned about rural crime in creating a 30 page report.
One key message the MPs heard throughout the consultations was a need to stop the “revolving door” of repeat offenders in our justice system.
“I am very proud to have tabled Bill C-458 on behalf of the thousands of Albertans who have been victimized, sometimes repeatedly, by criminals who purposely target law-abiding citizens living in rural or remote areas.” said Calkins.
Earl Dreeshen, Red Deer-Mountain View MP, who second the bill in the House of Commons, stated criminals are getting smarter in who they pick to prey on.
He said criminals know the property being targeted in remote and away from emergency services, such as the police.
“Bill C-458 will require the courts to consider this intentional act during sentencing,” said Dreeshen.