Local MP critical of federal Liberals' lack of bail reform

Oxford MP Arpan Khanna hosted hundreds of constituents on Saturday for a free pancake breakfast. Khanna said the number one topic on people’s minds was bail reform and crime. Lee Griffi photo

By Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Hundreds of constituents showed up for a free breakfast at Oxford MP Arpan Khanna’s constituency office on Saturday, where crime and bail reform were the hot topics.

Khanna, who is preparing to introduce a private member’s bill to tighten Canada’s bail rules, accused the Liberals of running a “smoke-and-mirrors” campaign throughout the summer.

“We’ve been seeing a lot of photo ops, a lot of announcements and talking points over the last six months of this so-called new government, but we haven’t seen a lot of action. We’re not seeing any actual legislation released,” he said.

He added if the Carney Liberals were serious about real changes to bail reform, they would have brought it forward during the first six weeks of Parliament following the election.

“Even today, we had 400 people show up and everyone talked about crime here in Oxford County,” Khanna said.

He referred to recent crimes, including the tragic death of a young boy shot to death while in bed in North York.

“When I hear about an eight-year-old lying in his mom’s arms, the safest place in the world is in bed with your mom, and he was shot and killed by a stray bullet, we have a problem. When a 71-year-old grandma is at the grocery store and stabbed to death, we have a problem. When we have broad-daylight shootings, we have a problem.”

He added he isn’t buying the idea the Liberals have the wherewithal to fix the problem they started.

“The people who started the fire, the arsonists themselves, now say they are sorry and can fix the fire they created. They burnt the house down. In 2018, Bill C-75 was brought in by the Liberals, which caused this crisis.”

Khanna explained judges are required by law to impose the least restrictive bail conditions and release those accused at the earliest opportunity, something his bill addresses.       

“You’re going to see some of those things reversed, give the police the tools they need and judges will have some clarity in the criminal code to actually lock up repeat violent offenders who are terrorizing communities across the country.”

At a press conference in Mississauga on Friday, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced his government will be introducing legislation this fall to overhaul Canada’s bail system. The proposed reforms aim to implement stricter rules to ensure violent and repeat offenders remain in custody rather than being released shortly after arrest, allow for consecutive sentencing for the most serious crimes, address cases involving serious offences such as gun violence, break-ins and car thefts, and emphasize that “people accused of violent crimes should not be in and out of jail within days,” ensuring they face appropriate consequences.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who met with Carney ahead of the announcement, is advocating for more mandatory minimum sentences and tighter measures under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

“When someone is charged with a heinous crime, they must remain in custody. People have had enough,” Ford said.

The MP says police across the country are fed up with a system that sees officers risk their lives to make arrests, only to watch offenders walk free and return to the streets within days, sometimes sooner.

“Very demoralizing. I have travelled now from coast to coast to coast and met with law enforcement, premiers, MLAs, victim advocacy groups, social workers, and crown attorneys, and it is demoralizing for everybody,” Khanna said.

He said police in Woodstock told him they are catching the same criminals over and over again. He added the same 15 people in Kelowna committed over 1,500 crimes in a single year.

“We have very efficient criminals who have chosen a lifestyle of crime. It’s our job to keep Canadians safe. We need to implement minimum mandatory sentences for those trafficking in drugs and involved in organized crime. We need to end the violence.”

He explained the number one job for a government is to keep its citizens safe, whether they are at a park or at home.

“It has to change and we will make sure we put the government’s feet to the fire when Parliament resumes next week.”

Carney made a point last week to mention Canada needs more effective policing, though he didn’t mention any specifics. Khanna suggested more effective bail laws are the key.