(Queen’s Park) Garfield Dunlop, M.P.P,. Simcoe North and Critic for Community Safety and Correctional Services called the plan submitted by Minister Monte Kwinter and Attorney General Michael Bryant “shameful” in their attempt to cut the justice ministries costs by $339 million in the wake of the worst summer in history of gun and gang related violence.

“All Ontarians should be alarmed that we elected a government in Ontario that has justice ministers who place so little emphasis on public safety,” said Dunlop. Who would believe that as people are being shot to death on Toronto streets, our ministers responsible for justice are trying to implement a plan that would cut 1/3 of a billon dollars from their ministries?”

Revelations in Tuesday’s National Post that Ontario’s Attorney General and Minister of Community Safety recommended a plan calling for fewer offenders to be charged, more people released on bail, early release of prison inmates and the closing of thousands of jail beds, provides a real insight into the “hypocrisy” of the McGuinty Government’s commitment to fight crime, according to Dunlop.

The plan, titled “Justice Modernization”, was submitted to the provincial cabinet for approval last November and was designed to cut the justice ministries costs by $339 million.

“The cabinet ultimately rejected the justice ministers’ recommendations, but only in the wake of public outrage over gun crime in Ontario,” charged Dunlop.

“It’s clear that the real intent of the McGuinty Government, up until the rash of Toronto shootings, was to put cost savings ahead of public safety,” said Dunlop. “The fact that both justice ministers endorsed this plan should be cause for concern. This report provides clear evidence that any of McGuinty’s claims to be tough on crime are phony, and simply a political response to a ‘hot issue’,” argued Dunlop. “Kwinter and Bryant’s actions are a shameful reflection on a government that has continually been soft on crime and criminals”.

Contact:

Garfield Dunlop
(416) 325-3855