Police Cheer Prime Minister Harper's tough stand on crime

copyright TORONTO STAR
Monday April 3

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper is winning plaudits from police for promising to lock up violent criminals and throw away the key.

Harper, in a speech Monday to the Canadian Professional Police Association, reiterated Conservative campaign vows to bring in tougher sentences for gun crime and drug offences.

He also won prolonged applause for his campaign promises to crack down on parole and do away with mandatory supervision, the practice of releasing most convicts after two-thirds of their sentences.

"We are going to hold criminals to account," said Harper.

"This government will send a strong message to criminals: if you do a serious crime, you're going to start doing serious time."

In his speech, Harper summarized most of the Conservative law-and-order pledges from the last election, including promises to get tough on child pornography and improve the national databank of DNA samples of convicted criminals.

He also won warm applause for reiterating that the Tories will not reintroduce Liberal legislation to decriminalize marijuana. That measure died on the Commons order paper with the last election.

Michael McCafferty comments:
Canadian expect the new Conservative Government to be strong on the law and order issues. Prime Minister Harper has made a solid commitment to law and order.

I believe Canadians will be pleased by the commitment made by Prime Minister
to law and order.