Latest news with #Poilievre
Global News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Global News
Police-reported crime in Canada fell in 2024 for 1st time since pandemic
Canada last year saw its first annual decrease in police-reported crime since the COVID-19 pandemic, Statistics Canada reported Tuesday, breaking a trend of three straight years of increasing incidents and severity. The agency attributed much of the overall decline in the crime severity index in 2024 to a six per cent drop in non-violent crime, which includes such crimes as property and drug offences. That included double-digit drops from the year before in breaking and entering, auto theft and child pornography offences, according to the new data. Those offences, along with drops in mischief and theft of $5,000 or less, accounted for three-quarters of the overall decrease in the crime severity index. Between 2021 and 2023, the non-violent crime index rose nine per cent. The violent crime severity index, meanwhile, decreased by one per cent in 2024, 'having a comparatively smaller impact' on the overall crime level, Statistics Canada said. Story continues below advertisement That still marked an improvement from the 15 per cent increase over the previous three years. 3:12 Poilievre blames Liberals, NDP for 'worst crime wave in Canadian history' Compared with 2023, the violent crime severity index saw slightly lower rates of sexual assault, robbery and aggravated assault, along with double-digit drops in extortion and attempted murder. Combined, those offences accounted for 80 per cent of the overall decrease. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The crime severity index was developed to address the limitations of a police-reported crime rate that is driven by high-volume — but comparatively less serious — offences. Statistics Canada said the police-reported crime rate fell four per cent last year from 2023, to 5,672 incidents per 100,000 members of the population. Rising levels of crime in the years following the pandemic led to increasing political debates on how to best address it, including during the recent federal election and within other levels of government. Story continues below advertisement 'The latest police-reported crime stats for 2024 confirm what Canadians already know: under the Liberals, crime pays, and Canadians pay the price,' Conservative MP and justice critic Larry Brock said in a statement. The statement focused on the comparatively higher rates of violent crime since 2015, when the Liberals were first elected to government, rather than the decreases recorded in 2024 from the year prior. —with files from the Canadian Press
Global News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Global News
Conservative leader calls for law to block long ballot protests ahead of Alberta byelection
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says the long list of names lining up to flood the ballot in his upcoming federal byelection amounts to a 'blatant abuse' of democracy — and he wants the government to do something about it. More than 100 candidates sponsored by the Longest Ballot Committee are registered to run against Poilievre in a byelection in the Alberta riding of Battle River—Crowfoot set for Aug. 18. The advocacy group also targeted Poilievre's former riding of Carleton in the spring election. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The Conservative leader, who is seeking a path back to the House of Commons, says in a letter to Liberal House leader Steve MacKinnon that the group is confusing voters and undermining democracy by flooding the ballot with unserious candidates. 1:55 Poilievre faces similar 'longest ballot' protest in Battle River-Crowfoot byelection The Conservatives want the Liberals to pass a law when Parliament returns in September that would require a candidate to obtain signatures from 0.5 per cent of the riding's population, not just 100 people. Story continues below advertisement The party also wants each signature to be exclusive to one candidate, and for riding agents to be barred from representing more than one person at a time.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Poilievre-led Tories gearing up for more ballot-box failure with support for convicted mischief ringleaders
Opinion If you needed more proof that Pierre Poilievre and the federal Conservative Party still haven't learned a thing from their last two election defeats, look no further than their latest embrace of Tamara Lich and Chris Barber. The two figureheads of the so-called 'freedom convoy' were convicted of criminal mischief in April for their role in the illegal occupation of downtown Ottawa in early 2022. This past week, Conservative MPs — including Poilievre himself — doubled down in support of Lich and Barber, whose sentencing hearing is scheduled to take place in Ottawa Wednesday. ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANADIAN PRESS Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his caucus members are calling the sentences for Tamara Lich and Chris Barber proposed by Crown prosecutors 'political vengeance.' Poilievre and his caucus members are calling the sentences proposed by Crown prosecutors 'political vengeance.' Apparently they don't understand that Crown attorneys are independent and don't take direction from cabinet ministers or MPs on individual cases. Nor do Poilievre and his Conservative MPs seem to comprehend that politicians should never comment on cases before the court. It's political interference and it undermines the independence of the judiciary. The facts in the Lich and Barber cases aren't up for debate. A court of law found both of them guilty. Their protest spiralled into a lawless encampment. And yet, instead of acknowledging the obvious — that the rule of law matters and that democratic protests can't be allowed to override the rights of others — Poilievre and his inner circle have chosen to pander, once again, to the party's far-right base. It's a losing strategy. And if Conservatives want to know why they keep falling short in recent federal elections, they need only look in the mirror. Time and again, Canadians have rejected the angry, conspiratorial brand of politics that has taken over the American Republican party. They want reasonable leaders who offer practical solutions, not culture-war nonsense, dog-whistle politics or endorsements of fringe movements. And yet, Poilievre seems determined to import a Trump-style playbook. The constant anti-media rants, the obsession with 'gatekeepers,' the crypto-promotion and the attempt to rewrite the convoy as some kind of heroic civil rights movement (the Conservatives are still calling it a 'peaceful protest') are all designed to mimic the populist outrage formula that works south of the border. But Canada is not the United States. The electoral math is different. So is the national temperament. Poilievre may be preaching to a passionate choir on YouTube and in Facebook echo chambers, but he's increasingly alienating the broad coalition of Canadians he needs to actually win a federal election. Urban and suburban voters in places such as the GTA, Metro Vancouver and Winnipeg — the battlegrounds that decide elections — are not clamouring for convoy nostalgia. They're tired of chaos. They want competence, not crusades. And they're watching closely when the leader of the Opposition refuses to condemn those who flouted court orders and treated the nation's capital like their personal playground. What's most baffling is that Poilievre has, in theory, the opportunity to be a formidable contender. He's a skilled communicator, an effective critic of government spending and sharper than most when it comes to messaging discipline. But the convoy saga has revealed a deeper flaw: he's unwilling — or unable — to shake the grip of the party's most radical fringe. Rather than evolve into a credible prime minister-in-waiting, Poilievre is playing to the internet mob. While that might be good for clicks and fundraising, it's political poison when it comes to broad electoral appeal. Canadians overwhelmingly rejected the convoy's tactics and message. Even many small-c conservative voters — people who would otherwise be inclined to support the Tories — saw the occupation for what it was: overreach, disruption and lawlessness. By continuing to praise Lich and Barber — convicted criminals, not folk heroes — Poilievre is sending a clear message to the country: this is still the party of grievance, not governance. While the Conservatives are busy lionizing convoy organizers, real issues are piling up. Housing is unaffordable, grocery prices are still high, health-care systems are strained and Canada is in the midst of a nasty tariff war with Donald Trump's administration. Canadians are increasingly anxious about what the future holds. Poilievre has shown glimpses of an ability to speak to those concerns, particularly on housing and inflation. But every time he makes headway, he squanders it by veering back into culture-war distractions. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. Instead of campaigning as the candidate who will fix the economy, he's turning himself into the candidate who wants to relitigate the convoy trial. It's a massive strategic blunder. There is a path to victory for a Conservative party that can focus on practical solutions, speak to the middle class and offer credible alternatives to Liberal fatigue. But that path does not run through convoy politics. It does not include defending convicted protest leaders. And it does not require mimicking the rhetoric of Donald Trump. Poilievre still has time to pivot — but that window is closing. And with every public statement of support for Lich and Barber, he risks turning off the very voters he needs to win. If the Conservatives blow the next election — again — they won't have to look far to figure out why. The warning signs are already flashing in bright red, like the tail lights of the trucks that once choked the streets of Ottawa. Tom BrodbeckColumnist Tom Brodbeck is a columnist with the Free Press and has over 30 years experience in print media. He joined the Free Press in 2019. Born and raised in Montreal, Tom graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and commerce. Read more about Tom. Tom provides commentary and analysis on political and related issues at the municipal, provincial and federal level. His columns are built on research and coverage of local events. The Free Press's editing team reviews Tom's columns before they are posted online or published in print – part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Toronto Star
2 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Poilievre calls for law to block long ballot protests that ‘abuse democracy'
OTTAWA - Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says the long list of names lining up to flood the ballot in his upcoming federal byelection amounts to a 'blatant abuse' of democracy — and he wants the government to do something about it when MPs return in the fall. Elections Canada said that as of Monday, 132 candidates sponsored by the Longest Ballot Committee were registered to run against Poilievre in a byelection in the Alberta riding of Battle River—Crowfoot set for Aug. 18.
Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Poilievre calls for law to block long ballot protests ahead of Alberta byelection
OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says the long list of names lining up to flood the ballot in his upcoming federal byelection amounts to a 'blatant abuse' of democracy — and he wants the government to do something about it. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. More than 100 candidates sponsored by the Longest Ballot Committee are registered to run against Poilievre in a byelection in the Alberta riding of Battle River_Crowfoot set for Aug. 18. Article content The advocacy group also targeted Poilievre's former riding of Carleton in the spring election. The Conservative leader, who is seeking a path back to the House of Commons, says in a letter to Liberal House leader Steve MacKinnon that the group is confusing voters and undermining democracy by flooding the ballot with unserious candidates. The Conservatives want the Liberals to pass a law when Parliament returns in September that would require a candidate to obtain signatures from 0.5 per cent of the riding's population, not just 100 people. The party also wants each signature to be exclusive to one candidate, and for riding agents to be barred from representing more than one person at a time.
