(Queen’s Park) – Garfield Dunlop, P.C. Critic for Community Safety and Correctional Services, today proposed four amendments to Bill 110 that were flatly turned down by Liberal MPPs on the Standing Committee on Justice Policy. The four amendments would have strengthened the legislation by including the mandatory reporting of knife injuries that are obviously not self-inflicted. Without these amendments, Bill 110 only requires the disclosure of information to police about persons being treated for gunshot wounds.

“The knife has become the weapon of choice for many criminals for many reasons, including the fact that knives are easier to acquire than guns,” said Dunlop. “Now’s the time to avoid giving criminals a loophole in this legislation.”

Bill 110 has yet to be debated in the Ontario legislature. It was introduced by the government on June 23, 2004 and referred to Committee after First Reading.

“When a bill goes to Committee, it is expected that the bill will come out as a stronger piece of legislation,” said Dunlop. “I’m disappointed that the Liberals opted instead to play politics with this bill, refusing to support amendments that weren’t their idea.

“In reality, this is just another law-and-order letdown from a government that clearly doesn’t consider community safety a priority,” added Dunlop. “As Community Safety Critic, I fully support providing police with the tools they need to do their job effectively.”

Contacts:
Garfield Dunlop
(705) 327-4500 (cell)