Kip Powick Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 Throne Speech leaked TENILLE BONOGUORE Globe and Mail Update and Canadian Press October 16, 2007 at 5:27 PM EDT A leaked copy of the Conservative Throne Speech promises tax cuts, a vote on the Afghan mission, and states Canada cannot meet Kyoto commitments. The Canadian Press has learned that the Conservative government is promising a sweeping anti-crime bill and major tax cuts. The leaked copy of the 16-page speech says a new Tackling Violent Crime bill will include measures on impaired driving, age of sexual consent, stricter bail conditions, and mandatory prison terms for gun crimes. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said law and order will be a confidence measure and he is prepared to fight an election on the issue. The government also plans to announce a toughening of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, as well as multiyear tax cuts for individuals and businesses, and a one percentage point cut in the GST. The Tories are declaring that it will be impossible for Canada to meet its targets under the Kyoto accord, but promise to fight climate change. The government is also promising a vote on the Afghan mission. The full speech will be read by Governor-General Michaëlle Jean from 7 p.m. EDT. The Bloc Québécois and the New Democrats have already signalled they will vote against the speech, which has been looming as a potential election trigger. Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion, however, is waiting to see exactly what is put forward. He has already said that he is expecting a speech that is conservative in nature, and he will consider supporting it providing it is not too strongly ideological. Sources said that Mr. Dion may keep Canadians in suspense until Wednesday before revealing his decision. Yet the Liberals had more pressing matters to tend to as the hours counted down to the speech, with another internal battle erupting after the party's Quebec lieutenant confirmed he had resigned. Hull MP Marcel Proulx has said that he resigned over the weekend as the party's right-hand man in the province, after learning that his job had been offered to Montreal MP Denis Coderre. Mr. Coderre then declined the offer, and Mr. Dion has been left scrambling to fill the position. The disarray comes in the wake of the Liberals' defeat in three Quebec by-elections last month and only hours before the nation's politicians return to Ottawa to hear the Harper Government's second-session plan. The possibility of Mr. Harper forcing an election by including a ‘poison pill' in the Throne Speech was slim, sources told The Globe and Mail. The House of Commons has six days to formally reply to the Throne Speech The Conservatives hold 126 seats in the House of Commons. The Liberals have 96 seats, the Bloc has 49, the NDP has 30 and Independents hold three. If all 304 sitting MPs vote on the Throne Speech, the minority government will need at least one other party to be on its side. Parliament has been on a break since June 21. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rattler Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 I sure hope the new crime bill passes. It does not address the following case but if the press report is accurate, then we should all be asking our MPs to but some teeth back into the law. This criminal was evidently sentenced to 8 years only a year ago and is now back on the streets. No bloody wonder that the police are getting frustrated with our legal system. Convicted Con-Man At Large, Allegedly Back to Old Ways Oct, 24 2007 - 2:40 PM CALGARY/AM770CHQR - A 46-year-old chronic fraudster, convicted of targeting the sick and elderly, is unlawfully at large after serving time in prison for bilking patients of money at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary. Known con-man Bryan Andrew Casavant was sentenced 8 years last September on 16 fraud and theft charges, but has been released, and police don't know where he is. Casavant is now wanted for questioning in connection with fraud incidents in Edmonton and Winnipeg over the last couple of months. He has more than 100 convictions on similar charges in the past, targeting elderly females from Calgary, to Edmonton, to Kelowna. On most occasions, he'll befriend the victim and offer to put money in their bank account to help with medical expenses, thereby getting their PIN number. He desposits an empty envolope and takes out their money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UpperDeck Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 Rattler--- Given x number of prison cells, I opt for using them to house criminals with a propensity for violence in preference to those whose crime is an understanding of human greed and the mental frailties of old age. I know the story you posted concerned defrauding of seniors but time after time one hears of people complaining they were swindled by Nigerians (etc) who promised them a huge share of ill-gotten gains. Too bad, suckers!! Same day, on Miami news there's a video of a punk beating an elderly man trying to "jack" his car. This "banger" punched the victim at least 10 times in the area of the head. To hell with imprisonment---multiple painfull injections shouldn't suffice to quell public uproar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rattler Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 Rattler--- Given x number of prison cells, I opt for using them to house criminals with a propensity for violence in preference to those whose crime is an understanding of human greed and the mental frailties of old age. I know the story you posted concerned defrauding of seniors but time after time one hears of people complaining they were swindled by Nigerians (etc) who promised them a huge share of ill-gotten gains. Too bad, suckers!! Same day, on Miami news there's a video of a punk beating an elderly man trying to "jack" his car. This "banger" punched the victim at least 10 times in the area of the head. To hell with imprisonment---multiple painfull injections shouldn't suffice to quell public uproar. Preying on the the elderly or those with terminal cancer is in the same category as murder as far as I am concerned. Neither victim has the ability to recover. The swindle in this case did not have any greed component other than that of the criminal. My point remains, if he was indeed sentenced to 8 years, how the hell is he on the streets after only 1 ?????? It is not as if this was his first offence. Seems that it was not his last either: Date: Wed Oct 24 15:02:45 2007 Subject: PA/MRU #07-505 FRAUD SUSPECT WANTED From: Chris Downey -----BEGIN MD5 ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- CITYBEAT - CITY OF CALGARY PRESS RELEASE ----------------------------------------------------------------- The Calgary Police Service, in conjunction with the RCMP and Edmonton Police Service, is asking the public to be on the lookout for a man who has been actively targeting elderly or invalid victims in an ATM fraud scheme. Canada-wide warrants are out for Bryan Andrew CASAVANT, 46, for being unlawfully at large and for breach of his release conditions. He is wanted for questioning in two fraud schemes in Edmonton and area this August, as well as other fraud -related incidents as far east as Winnipeg that occurred in the last month. CASAVANT is described as Caucasian, 46, approximately 5' 9" tall and 280 lbs., with blue eyes and closely-cropped brown hair. He is known to travel extensively between the Edmonton and Calgary areas. A photo of CASAVANT will be sent to the media in a separate e-mail. In a previous scheme in Alberta, in 2005, CASAVANT primarily targeted elderly, physically disabled or invalid women. In almost all cases, the victims were in area hospitals, medical facilities or extended care facilities, and were befriended by the suspect to gain their trust. CASAVANT told victims that he had recently returned from, or was leaving for, work overseas and had an abundance of cash. He then said that he would like to help them with their medical expenses by depositing money into their accounts. After gaining their trust and obtaining the person's ATM card and PIN number, an empty envelope would be deposited and the victim would receive a deposit receipt to “confirm” that the money was put in their account. He would then offer to take out some money to buy groceries or other necessities, but would keep all or most of the money instead, completing the fraud. The Calgary Police Service wants to ensure that no more people are taken in by these kinds of offers. Never, under any circumstances, should you give a stranger your PIN, bank card or bank account number. If someone genuinely wants to help, they can simply write a cheque, give cash, money orders, or bank drafts. Anyone who has information on the location of CASAVANT is asked to call the Calgary Police Service at 266-1234 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). RELEASED BY THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND MEDIA RELATIONS UNIT FOR DISTRICT 7 G.I.U. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rattler Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 And then there is another side to our justice system. Some say we operate "Club Feds" when compared with other countries in commonwealth. Some of course don't agree, but here is the latest report from our Ombudsman. He was appointed February 24, 2004 by The Honourable Anne McLellan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. One part of the report that I find disturbing is Aboriginal inmates are far more likely than non-aboriginal offenders to be housed in maximum security facilities or placed in segregation and they're more likely to serve longer portions of their sentences before being released. All of which, Sapers says, limits their access to rehabilitation programs and increases the risk that they'll reoffend. Prison system needs cash infusion to combat violence and despair: ombudsman I hope funding will be provided as required. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Highlights of the report can be found at: http://canadianpress.google.com/article/AL...h8F06srIzhXvDHA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo32a Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 They could cut the costs by a factor of 10 if they incarcerated them in military prisons. No violence, no drugs, no riots, no whining. And a very low recidivism rate. Instead of 10 years in club fed give them 2 years in military(style) prison, they won't come back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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