(Queen’s Park) – Garfield Dunlop, P.C. Critic for Community Safety and Correctional Services, today criticized the McGuinty government for continuing to make law-and-order announcements with no new dollars attached.

The McGuinty government announced today that it will provide new software to help keep Grade 7 and 8 students safe while on the Internet. The money for the “CYBERCOPS” software will come from the $5 million already announced in October 2004 for a province-wide strategy to help police fight Internet luring and child pornography.

“I’m frustrated that this government has shown a lack of understanding of the real extent of child pornography and Internet crimes against children in this province,” said Dunlop. “The $5 million announced last fall won’t even put a dent in the problem, yet today they make yet another announcement without even adding a penny to the pot.”

As part of today’s announcement, the McGuinty government referenced two initiatives from June 2004: $1 million for the OPP’s ‘Project P’, and $700,000 to help the Toronto Police Service track convicted sex offenders.

“These initiatives are in fact re-announcements of our government’s funding commitments,” said Dunlop. “Dalton McGuinty is sitting on a $40-million surplus in the Victims’ Justice Fund, while municipal police services that need this money to fight child pornography continue to wait.”

Dunlop noted that the P.C. government had announced the $1 million for the OPP in the 2003 Budget, and the $700,000 for the Toronto Police Service on June 14, 2003.

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