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National Post

Justice minister says he doesn't like 'soft on crime' slogans, but won't 'diminish' those concerns

OTTAWA — Justice Minister Sean Fraser says that while he does not believe in using labels like 'soft on crime,' which critics employ to describe the justice system, he says it is important not to dismiss the concerns of those who use them. Article content 'I don't necessarily agree with the sloganeering approach, but that doesn't mean someone who may agree with it doesn't have a point that deserves the government's attention,' he told National Post in a recent wide-ranging interview on Wednesday. Article content Article content Fraser enters the justice and attorney general portfolio at a time when premiers and police chiefs are pressing the federal government to further restrict access to bail, particularly in Ontario, as a strategy to stem the rising tide of auto thefts and home invasions, which police across the Greater Toronto Area and other regions of the country have reported. Article content Article content Making bail more difficult for those accused of these crimes, particularly when violence is used and when they are connected to organized crime, was a promise made by Prime Minister Mark Carney in late April's federal election, which saw the Liberals elected to a fourth term. Article content The Liberals also campaigned on a pledge to make bail harder for those charged with certain human trafficking and drug smuggling offences, as well as bringing in tougher sentencing guidelines for courts to follow for repeat offenders convicted of a home invasion or auto theft. Article content Crime was a major focus of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's campaign, with candidates handing out leaflets emblazoned with the percentages of how much car theft has increased in and around Toronto, where they flipped several seats from the Liberals. Article content Article content Conservatives have continued to draw attention to crime rates by laying them squarely at the feet of what they describe as 'soft on crime' and 'catch-and-release' Liberal justice policies. Article content Fraser says the discussion around tightening bail is rooted in legal analysis and not 'exclusively on the increased scrutiny that you may see from the public or from another political party.' It is also a multi-jurisdictional matter, he points out, and touches on issues like training for judges and justices of the peace, as well as the shortage of Crown prosecutors, which the Liberals have pledged to tackle. Article content 'When we hear the scrutiny that may come from the public on an issue that's an early warning system that you should be looking into, has there been a change? What is underlying that change?'