December 18, 1995 For Immediate Release
BREITKREUZ SUPPORTS BILL CALLING FOR IMPOSITION OF CONSECUTIVE SENTENCES
"Reformers believe in the principle: 'If you do the crime, you do the time'," says Breitkreuz.
Yorkton - Garry Breitkreuz, MP for Yorkton-Melville, co-sponsored a Private Member's Bill introduced by Dick Harris, Reform MP for Prince George-Bulkley Valley, which would force judges to impose consecutive sentences for criminals convicted of multiple crimes. Presently, most criminals convicted of multiple offences serve their sentences concurrently, which means if a person is convicted of two counts for sexual assault and sentenced to 10 years for each count, they only serve 10 years not 20. This bill would put an end to this practice.
"Just because a criminal commits a number of violent acts at the same time, he should pay the price for each act and not have them lumped all together in one easy payment," said Breitkreuz. Harris' mandatory consecutive sentencing requirement would apply for multiple convictions for a number of violent offences, such as murder, rape, kidnapping and sexual assault.
"Reformers believe that if you do the crime, you do the time," said Breitkreuz. "The Liberals say they are doing something to make our streets safer but ignore good ideas like this one. Under the Liberal government these violent criminals will be back out on the streets after serving only one of their sentences regardless of how many crimes they are convicted of. A Reform government will make sure these criminals serve their full time for each crime they commit. We need to send a message to criminals that every violent act will be punished to the full extent of the law. Every time they do more crime, they will do more time. If this bill was the law of the land right now, criminals would think twice before committing each and every violent act," concluded Breitkreuz.
For a copy of this bill please call:
Ottawa: (613) 992-4394