For Immediate Release June 30, 2008

TOUGHER LAWS TO CRACK DOWN
ON IMPAIRED DRIVERS AND DANGEROUS OFFENDERS
COME INTO FORCE ON JULY 2nd

Estevan (June 30, 2008)-- Ed Komarnicki, M.P., Souris- Moose Mountain and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration announced that new laws take effect on July 2, 2008 that will better protect Canadians from people who commit serious and violent crimes.

The new laws are part of the federal government’s Tackling Violent Crime Act, and amend Canada’s Criminal Code to ensure:

o There are stronger penalties for impaired driving, and new ways to detect and investigate drug-impaired driving; and
o There is more effective sentencing and monitoring to prevent dangerous, high-risk offenders from offending again.

“We're giving police better tools to detect and investigate drug- and alcohol-impaired driving, and we're increasing penalties,” said Ed Komarnicki, Member of Parliament for Souris-Moose Mountain. “This Government will continue to deliver on what is important to Canadians – the safety and security of their communities – because protecting society is a priority for this Government.”

On May 1, 2008, three other laws came into effect as part of the government’s Tackling Violent Crime Act that protect Canadians against those who commit serious and violent crimes:

• Raising the age of protection from 14 years to 16 years;
• Providing tougher sentences for serious gun crimes; and
• Ensuring that bail provisions better protect the public from gun violence.

The Government of Canada has been working since 2006 to introduce new measures that will tackle violent crime and make Canadian communities safer. We have:

• Passed legislation to increase penalties for those convicted of street racing;
• Passed legislation to end conditional sentences (house arrest) for serious personal injury and violent offences, including sexual assault;
• Introduced legislation to tackle property theft, including the serious crime of auto theft;
• Introduced a National Anti-Drug Strategy, including legislation that would provide mandatory jail time for serious drug crimes;
• Introduced legislation to strengthen the Youth Criminal Justice Act; and commenced a comprehensive review of this Act in 2008;
• Introduced legislation to protect Canadians against identity theft; and
• Invested in crime prevention community projects across Canada that target youth.

For an online version of the Tackling Violent Crime Act (Bill C-2) visit www.parl.gc.ca.

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