mandatory minimums
Former Harper aide says Jaffer should apologize
Tonda MacCharles, The StarOTTAWA – Most of Rahim Jaffer’s Conservative caucus colleagues dashed, squirmed, or told reporters to ask Ontario’s Crown why their former national caucus chair got a “break” – as the judge called it—from prosecution on drunk driving and cocaine possession charges.
But Kory Teneycke, a former spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, said Jaffer is the one who owes the public an explanation and an apology.
Jaffer case draws fire from John Howard Society
The head of the John Howard Society says Justice Minister Rob Nicholson should take a long, honest look at the Rahim Jaffer case.
Craig Jones says Nicholson should apply lessons from the case to the Conservative criminal justice agenda.
Jones says the Jaffer case shows how mandatory minimum sentences don't work, because they take away discretion from judges to find proportionality in the justice system.
Jaffer is a former senior Conservative MP in the government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He walked out of an Ontario courtroom yesterday after drunk driving and cocaine possession charges were dropped against him. In return, Jaffer pleaded guilty to a careless driving charge.
Harper Government Borrowing, Increasing Taxes, to Build Prisons - Crime at 30 year low
By Janice Tibbetts, Canwest News Service
OTTAWA — The head of Canada's prison system says there will be "major construction initiatives" in the coming years to cope with federal legislation to imprison more offenders longer — an assertion backed by new spending estimates showing a 43 per cent increase in penitentiary capital costs next year.
Don Head, commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada, set the stage for prison expansion in a recent e-mail, obtained by Canwest News Service.
Former Conservative MP Dodges Cocaine, Drunk Driving Charges
By Amber Hildebrandt, CBC News
Drunk driving and drug possession charges were dropped against former Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer in court Tuesday, but he pleaded guilty to a lesser offence of careless driving.
Jaffer, 38, was ordered to pay a $500 fine within a month. He also donated $500 to the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, his lawyer said.
An agreed statement of fact read by Crown lawyer Marie Balogh said that last Sept. 10, an Ontario Provincial Police constable clocked Jaffer driving 93 kilometres an hour in a 50 km/h speed zone in Palgrave, northwest of Toronto.
The village is in the southern Ontario riding of Simcoe-Grey held by his wife, federal Tory cabinet minister Helena Guergis.
Tories should take Jaffer lesson to heart, dump minimum sentences: experts
By Bruce Cheadle (CP)OTTAWA — Justice Minister Rob Nicholson should take a long, honest look at the Rahim Jaffer case and apply its lessons to the Conservative criminal justice agenda, the head of the John Howard Society said Tuesday.
"It's really easy to disparage discretion for judges - until you need it," Craig Jones told The Canadian Press in an interview.
Jaffer, a former senior Conservative MP in the government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, walked out of a courtroom in Orangeville, Ont., after drunk driving and cocaine possession charges were dropped in return for a plea bargain on a careless driving charge.
Jail rests on boosting prisoner total
By THE CITY is banking on the federal government sending more people to jail for longer periods of time if its hope of an economy-boosting jail here is to be realized.
A city co-sponsored feasibility study lists three pieces of legislation the federal government wants passed, each one of which would result in more people headed for federal jail cells.
Marijuana masses meet at Vic Cannabis Convention
Bruce Dean, The MartletThe smell of sweet skunk and sounds of cannabis coughing were tell-tale clues for the location of the 11th-annual Victoria Cannabis Convention.
Many members of Victoria’s cannabis community gathered this past Sunday, Feb. 28, in UVic’s David Strong Building, to celebrate and educate people about marijuana’s benefits.
‘I am pleased to have this opportunity to respond’ - Rob Nicholson
Rob Nicholson, Published in MacleansA few weeks ago, Liberal Senator James Cowan wrote the Justice Minister requesting a correcting of the record. A few days ago, the Justice Minister wrote back and Rob Nicholson’s office has kindly passed along that reply.
Full text after the jump.
March 1, 2010
The Honourable James S. Cowan, Q.C.
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Room 375-S, Centre Block
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A4
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Room 375-S, Centre Block
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A4
Tories to freeze MP salaries
Bruce Campion-Smith Tonda MacCharles, The StarOTTAWA – The Conservative government says it intends to “lead by example” as it proposes freezing the salaries of the Prime Minister, cabinet ministers, MPs and Senators as it moves to rein in a big deficit.
The pledge is contained in the speech from the throne delivered Wednesday afternoon on Parliament Hill by Governor General Michaelle Jean. The Prime Minister now makes $315,462 and MPs take home $157,731. Cabinet ministers make $233,247.
And in a move that could have broad implications for government operations, Stephen Harper’s government is also freezing the operating budgets of federal departments.
Crime bills to be scrutinized, Liberals warn
Shannon Kari, National PostOne of the stated reasons for the prorogation of Parliament was that the resetting of Senate committees would better allow the Tories to pass their crime legislation, parts of which had been held up in the Upper Chamber in the past.
But the Liberal justice critic says his party is not going to approve speedy passage of all the crime legislation through the House of Commons -- even if that leads to accusations of being labeled "soft on crime" -- when Parliament resumes this week.
