Conservatives pick up support in N.L., CBC's political panel weighs in on party's inroads
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Toronto Star
43 minutes ago
- Toronto Star
Conservative MP calls on Ottawa to do more on wildfires, criticizes forest entry ban
OTTAWA - Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner says the federal government needs to do more to fight Canada's devastating forest fires. Speaking to reporters Wednesday in Ottawa, the Alberta MP accused Ottawa of 'inaction' on wildfires. She also blamed that lack of action for new measures restricting activities in the forests of two provinces — even though those bans were imposed by the provinces themselves.
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Conservatives say the justice system favours non-citizens. Experts disagree
Social Sharing The Conservatives want to change the Criminal Code to eliminate what they say is a double standard in the justice system that allows non-citizens to get lighter sentences than Canadians who have been convicted of the same crime. "When it comes to sentencing non-citizens, Canada has essentially adopted a form of two-tier justice," Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner said Wednesday in Ottawa. "This offends all principles of fairness that should be foundational to our justice system." Deportations are automatically scheduled to allow time for appeal, but certain criminal sentences remove the right of the offender to challenge their removal. "Removing non-citizens convicted of serious crimes is a no-brainer," Rempel Garner said. "Becoming a Canadian is a privilege, not a right." But immigration experts say the Conservatives' characterization of Canada's justice system as being biased in favour of non-citizens is simply false. They say the law is designed to ensure the sentence fits the crime, regardless of the offender's status. WATCH | Conservatives want judges to stop considering immigration status in sentencing: Conservatives vow to introduce bill preventing judges from weighing immigration status in sentencing 5 hours ago Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner says she'll introduce legislation when Parliament returns that would amend the Criminal Code, preventing judges from considering a non-citizen's immigration status during sentencing. Rempel Garner said her party will introduce a private member's bill when the House of Commons returns in September, promising the change will "restore the value of Canadian citizenship." The bill "will expressly outline that any potential impact of a sentence on the immigration status of a convicted non-citizen offender, or that of their family members, should not be taken into consideration," the Conservative Party says in a statement. Rempel Garner's suggestion that Canada has "two-tier" sentencing provisions is, she said, the direct result of a 2013 Supreme Court of Canada ruling that clarified sentencing guidelines. One of several factors to consider In the ruling, Canada's top court said that when sentencing a non-citizen, a judge can use an offender's immigration status as one of several factors when considering what sentence to impose. "That's what judges do in sentencing. They take into account factors that are individual that are relevant; this is just one more of them," said Audrey Macklin, a law professor at the University of Toronto. Macklin said other factors commonly considered during sentencing are whether the offender has a substance abuse issue; whether they are a single parent and what will happen to their child; or the prospects that they can be rehabilitated. "Sentencing always takes into account factors unique or specific to that individual," she said. "It's a misrepresentation to suggest that this is two-tier justice." Macklin said the 2013 ruling also clarified that while immigration status can be considered, it could not be used to reduce the sentence below the standard minimum. Losing the right to appeal deportation Under the law in Canada, a person who has been ordered to be removed from the country cannot appeal their deportation order if: They were convicted of a crime in Canada and given a sentence of six months or more. They were convicted of a crime outside Canada punishable in Canada by a sentence of 10 years or more. They were involved in organized crime. They violated human or international rights law, by, for example, committing war crimes. Toronto immigration lawyer Pantea Jafari says she has argued similar cases. She told CBC News that the 2013 ruling was crafted to ensure the consequences of a sentence are proportional to what the judge intends. In a case where a judge may think someone has committed a minor offence and only deserves a slap on the wrist, Jafari said the judge may decide to give them a six-month sentence. For a Canadian citizen, the punishment would be six months in jail. But for a non-citizen, it could result in deportation without the ability to appeal. Jafari said the 2013 ruling simply gives the judge in her example the authority to lower the sentence to six months less a day so they can still appeal their deportation. She said this would ensure a citizen and non-citizen receive comparable sentences. "When [a judge] is considering a sentence, they can't be blind to the fact that this person is not a naturalized Canadian, is still an immigrant and therefore will have additional consequences as a result of the sentence," Jafari said.
Montreal Gazette
2 hours ago
- Montreal Gazette
Opinion: Why is the PQ resonating with so many Quebecers right now?
Opinion The results of the Arthabaska byelection confirm what polls have been saying for months: a vast majority of Quebecers want the Legault government out. On Monday, only 7.2 per cent of voters gave their support to the Coalition Avenir Québec candidate. Even Premier François Legault conceded that this poor outcome is an indication of Quebecers' discontent. The next general election will be held a little over a year from now — Oct. 5, 2026 — and it is easy to predict what the main theme will be: change. Quebecers will wonder which party best represents this ever-important political value. In Arthabaska, as in the two previous byelections won by the Parti Québécois, voters concluded that the separatist party is the most credible alternative to the CAQ. Why? One reason is that, considering his relative youth (he is 48) and the fact that he has never been in government, PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon personifies change. His style of direct, sincere, thoughtful politics also differs from the stuff of many career politicians. Veteran pollster Jean-Marc Léger noted on Tuesday that 30 per cent of Parti Québécois voters are federalists. Instead of voting Liberal as would be expected, those Quebecers choose to support the PQ because Plamondon's party is perceived as the one with the best chance of winning and therefore, of sending the CAQ government packing. In Monday's byelection, the Quebec Liberal Party had a strong local candidate. They also, finally, have a new, well-known leader. Despite those assets, Chantale Marchand received only 9.3 per cent of the byelection votes. Clearly, voters in Arthabaska did not consider the QLP as the party through which one could express their longing for a fresh start. This is a weakness that leader Pablo Rodriguez will have to address quickly if he wants his party to be competitive come October 2026. Another reason for the PQ's success is the rapid decline of Québec solidaire. No one expected QS to win in Arthabaska, a traditionally conservative riding. Still, in the 2022 general election, they had obtained 9.2 per cent of Arthabaska votes ; on Monday, their score fell to an anemic 1.5 per cent. Voters, specifically young voters, who were attracted to the societal changes proposed by the leftist party may have switched their vote to the PQ, notwithstanding some major differences between the positions of the 'péquistes' and that of the 'solidaires' on immigration, for example. After the 2022 election, some commentators predicted the death of the party founded by René Lévesque. To Plamondon's credit, he succeeded in bringing the PQ back from the brink. His commitment to hold a third referendum on sovereignty was thought to be an obstacle to growing the party's base. That has not happened yet, and it remains to be seen whether things will change when Quebecers are called upon to choose the province's next government instead of simply voting for their local MNA. In his victory speech Monday night, Plamondon emphasized concrete issues that concern Quebecers — ineffective public services, the increase in the cost of living, the worrisome state of the province's finances, uncontrolled immigration — rather than separation. Is this the beginning of a strategic turn where, even if still committed to hold a third referendum on independence, the PQ will first and foremost promise a competent government ('un bon government'), as they have often done in the past? Of course, a lot can happen in the next year. However, for now, Plamondon and his party are clearly being perceived by many Quebecers as the most credible alternative to the Legault government. Strategically, that is a very enviable position to hold. This story was originally published
