The Carney Liberals intend to table a bill in the next parliamentary session that would impose stricter sentencing and bail conditions for certain crimes.Justice Minister Sean Fraser said the bill will be a crackdown on organized crime, including human trafficking, home invasion and car theft.“It’s perhaps obvious, given the tenor around the criminal justice system, that reforms are in order,” Fraser told the Canadian Press, adding the bill will “at minimum” center around crime policies Prime Minister Mark Carney promised during the election campaign, but more will likely be added.“Auto thefts, though they may be down in the GTA this year compared to last, we have seen a trend where it was becoming a bigger problem,” said Fraser, noting auto theft is sometimes linked to organized crime.The justice minister, appointed by Carney in May, said he hopes the laws will act as a stronger deterrent for criminals.“It’s not just a reaction to something you read about in a headline,” he said.“It’s meant to send a signal to deter problematic behavior that you want to address, to help people feel safe.”.Toronto police urge Carney, Poilievre to clarify positions on public safety issues.Fraser said his department’s intention was not just to crack down on criminals after the fact, but mitigate crime prevention too.“We also want to make sure that we go upstream and prevent fewer people from falling into a criminal lifestyle,” he said.Fraser said the government has heard complaints from Canadians — including the Toronto police — that the criminal justice system has issues.“We hear from Canadians more broadly that there is a challenge with the criminal justice system, there is a challenge with the bail system,” he said.The bill would further require bail judges to undergo more thorough training, and increase the capacity of detention centres..Toronto Police Association calls for Trudeau's resignation..Fraser said the federal government has a responsibility — but so do the provinces.“We want to come into this conversation knowing that we’ve taken care of the challenges that fall within the federal government’s purview, but we also want to enter a conversation with provinces and territories to say that we are not the only cook in the kitchen,” he said.“The circumstances in rural Nova Scotia may not reflect the circumstances in downtown Toronto or in Canada’s North.”Recent crime trends underline the urgency behind Fraser’s proposed legislation. According to Statistics Canada, police-reported crime rose by 5% in 2022, and the national Crime Severity Index climbed to 78.1, its highest level since 2007.Violent crime in particular has surged, and in Toronto alone, police reported a 43% jump in vehicle thefts between 2021 and 2022. While auto theft rates have stabilized slightly in 2024, law enforcement agencies continue to link car theft and home invasion activity to organized crime networks.
