Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre called for the Liberal government to reverse its catch-and-release bail policy following the fatal shooting of Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Const. Grzegorz Pierzchala by a man who was out on bail.."Conservatives are calling on the Trudeau government to reverse its catch-and-release bail policy to allow for prisoners who have been arrested after a long rap sheet of previous offenses for violent crimes," Poilievre said during a Friday press conference on Parliament Hill.."We believe they should stay in jail until their trial is complete and until it can be assured to all of us that they are no longer a danger to the public.".On Tuesday, Pierzchala of the Haldimand County detachment was shot after responding to a call of a car stuck in a ditch just west of Hagersville, ON. Randall McKenzie, 25, and his girlfriend Brandi Stewart-Sperry, 30, are both facing charges of first-degree murder..It was later revealed McKenzie was out on bail after having committed a previous violent offense against a police officer. During a press conference yesterday, OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique said Pierzchala's death was "preventable" and called for changes that would protect law enforcement in Canada..Poilievre said Pierzchala was a hero who gave his life for the "freedom and safety" of Canadians, and offered his condolences to Pierzchala's loved ones. He added the details of Pierzchala's murder are "deeply troubling," as he was the fifth Canadian police officer to be killed since September 2022.."The accused, according to media reports, has previous convictions that are similarly violent," Poilievre said. "I regularly meet police officers across Canada who tell me that they often have to re-arrest the same person in the same day — arresting a violent criminal in the morning and then again in the afternoon after they have been released on bail.".Poilievre said this is a result of Bill C-75, passed in June 2019, which updated the bail provisions in Canada’s Criminal Code for the first time since 1972. Bill C-75 directs police and judges to follow a “principle of restraint” when it comes to imposing bail conditions on offenders, even in cases where they have repeatedly committed crimes or are considered a danger to the public..Poilievre said this lead to a 32% increase in violent crime and a 92% increase in gang-related crime in 2020. He said instead of addressing the issue, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau "fearmongered" against law-abiding firearms owners by trying to pass legislation that would ban certain hunting rifles.."What we need to do instead is keep the small number of repeat habitual, violent offenders behind bars, and when they are newly arrested, deny them bail until such time as their trials are completed," Poilievre said. "Conservatives believe every Canadian has the right to be safe, that our police officers need all the support they can get in order to provide that safety.".Poilievre was asked by a reporter if reversing the catch-and-release policy would disproportionally impact lower-income Canadians. The Conservative leader said his policies would only target violent, repeat offenders, while bail would still be given to low-risk offenders.."If someone has been charged and not convicted of a minor offense, and they don't have a long track record of recidivism, then they should have the chance to apply for, and in some cases receive, bail," Poilievre said. He added lower-income communities are dyspeptically impacted by violent crime, which is why "protecting the vulnerable is is an argument against Justin Trudeau's catch-and-release bail policies."."Instead, we should protect the vulnerable by keeping the most violent offenders behind bars until such time as they can be rehabilitated and safely released."
