November 22, 1995 For Immediate Release
REPEAL LIBERAL LOOP-HOLE THAT LETS COLD-BLOODED MURDERERS BACK ON THE STREET
"Liberals dedicate this week to prisoners but there is no week for victims," says Breitkreuz.
Ottawa - Today, Garry Breitkreuz, MP for Yorkton-Melville, introduced the Reform Party's Opposition Day Motion in the House of Commons condemning the Liberal government for failing to make progress in reforming the criminal justice system in terms of introducing measures to ensure that the rights of the victim are protected and that these rights supersede the rights of the criminal. The motion also called on the government to change the name of the week November 19-26 from Prisoners' Week to Victims' Rights Week.
Breitkreuz used this opportunity to express his outrage over the fact that Liberal laws will force Mrs. Marie King-Forest and her family of Saskatoon to once again relive the cold-blooded murder of her husband, RCMP Constable Brian King, like she did last year when one of the murderers, Gregory Fischer, applied for early parole after serving just 15 years of his 25 year sentence. Now Constable King's other murderer, Darrel Crook, is applying for early release under the same Liberal loop-hole which cut two years off his partner-in-crime's life sentence.
"Reformers have done everything we can do to have Section 745 of the Criminal Code repealed," said Breitkreuz. "Under a Reform government, when the court says 'no chance of parole for 25 years' that is exactly what the heartless criminal will get. I think most Canadians believe that life should mean life. If do-gooders are concerned about a killer's rehabilitation, let them play their games after the full sentence has been served. Certainty in sentencing, protecting society and giving the relatives of the victims some peace and closure are more important than letting a killer back on the streets a couple of years early."
Breitkreuz has been lobbying for victims' rights since he arrived in Ottawa in 1993 and is presently working on a Victims' Bill of Rights. During his speech he presented a long list of rights he believes victims are entitled to. "Criminals have all kinds of "rights" they must be informed of but victims are treated like a piece of evidence," said Breitkreuz. "It's time we got our priorities straight. I know it's only symbolic but we can start by changing the Liberal Government's declaration of this week (November 19-26) from Prisoners' Week to Victims' Rights Week."
For a copy of Garry's speech please call:
Ottawa: (613) 992-4394