Alberta’s justice minister has spoken out against the Liberal government’s firearms legislation for the second time this week, expressing concerns about the decision to remove mandatory minimal sentencing for gun crimes.
If this legislation is passed into law, judges would have more discretion in sentencing.
“Ottawa’s draft law removes mandatory prison sentences for serious crimes such as illegal possession of a loaded handgun, robbery with a firearm, and possession of a firearm obtained through crime.”
According to Lametti, indigenous adults represent 5 percent of Canada’s population but account for 30 percent of federally incarcerated inmates, which is double the number to what it was 20 years ago. He said black inmates represent just over 7 percent of the federal offender population, but only about 3 percent of Canada’s population.
Lametti said the mandatory minimum penalties is the centre-piece of Canada’s “punishment through imprisonment” sentencing system, which contributes to the high incarceration figure.
“This rigid, one-size-all approach makes it impossible for judges to take into account mitigating factors, in order to impose a sentence that fits the crime,” Lametti said.
Madu said by removing tough mandatory penalties for actual gun crimes would undermine the safety of the minority communities that are often the actual victimis of brazen gun violence.
“Once again, Ottawa appears to be going soft on the criminals who perpetuate real gun violence while symbolically targeting law-abiding Canadians,” Madu said. “I also find it disingenuous for Ottawa to exploit a genuine issue like systemic racism to push through their soft-on-crime bills.”
“For the federal government to gut sentences for real gun crimes just days after scapegoating duly-licensed, law-abiding firearms owners (Bill C-21) is especially rich,” Madu said on Thursday.