Elizabeth May introduces private member’s bill to abolish mandatory minimums

(OTTAWA) May 5, 2016 - Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada (MP, Saanich-Gulf Islands), today introduced a private member’s bill in the House of Commons that aims to abolish most mandatory minimums in the criminal justice system. “As we face crises of overcrowding in our prisons and overrepresentation of Indigenous and Black inmates, we need ...

Elizabeth May welcomes Supreme Court of Canada decision on mandatory minimums

(OTTAWA) April 15, 2016 – Elizabeth May welcomes two decisions today by the Supreme Court of Canada that key “tough on crime” measures brought in by the previous Conservative government are unconstitutional. “Today’s ruling serves as a stark reminder that the damage of the Harper years still needs to be fixed,” said Elizabeth May, Leader ...

Stephen Harper’s cruel and unusual mandatory minimums

OTTAWA – Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada and Member of Parliament for Saanich – Gulf Islands, issued the following statement concerning this morning’s Supreme Court ruling on mandatory minimum sentences: “The Harper administration has yet again been rebuked for its persistent refusal to create laws compliant with our Constitution. Today’s ruling ...

Petition (41st General Elections & Justice)

41st General Elections Elizabeth May: Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to present two petitions. The first relates to the ongoing investigation of the calls that were made, generally referred to as robocalls, in 2011. It is a timely petition because, as we know, Bill C-23 actually has a good regime. One part of Bill ...

Not Criminally Responsible Reform Act (Bill C-54)

Elizabeth May : Mr. Speaker, I want to return to the concern that I have expressed this evening, that despite good intentions perhaps in the way this legislation is drafted to deal with a concern the public has, which I feel is driven by the headlines as opposed to empirical evidence, we may inadvertently make ...

Not Criminally Responsible Reform Act (Bill C-54)

Elizabeth May: Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague from Vaudreuil-Soulanges. That was a very fine speech indeed. I want to turn our attention to another piece of this. As much as we can say we want to address the problem and that the problem is the people who are held not criminally responsible, if ...

Not Criminally Responsible Reform Act (Bill C-54)

Elizabeth May : Mr. Speaker, I am afraid that I am not yet at the place where I think this legislation would actually do more good than harm. I am trying to debate that in my own mind, looking at the evidence and the expertise that comes forward. One of the experts to whom I ...

Not Criminally Responsible Reform Act (Bill C-54)

Elizabeth May: Mr. Speaker, I would like to pick up on some of the points that have been made. It is hard when battling statistics are raised in debates and people are left to wonder what the actual state of evidence is. I am persuaded by the various briefs by the Canadian Bar Association, scientists ...

Not Criminally Responsible Reform Act (Bill C-54)

Hon. Rob Nicholson: Mr. Speaker, I would tell those young people, as I have told young people, that it does not get any better anywhere in the world than right here in Canada. Nobody is fairer. Nobody has better, more open debates. Nobody is more reasonable. This country is an example of what the world ...

Not Criminally Responsible Reform Act (Bill C-54)

Elizabeth May: Mr. Speaker, we are now debating time allocation on the bill and the Conservative majority will get the time allocation they want. Whenever there is time allocation, the position I hold being a member of a party with one seat is that those of us in the backbenches over in this corner will ...