Sunday, October 21, 2007

The Con Game

As the Governor General was reading the Throne Speech, we of course had news that day that the crime rate has once again dropped, year over year and in fact has been on a steady decline for the past 3 decades.

That of course doesn't jibe with Harper's "keep 'em scared" agenda, so of course he went ahead to create a ridiculous omnibus crime Bill. Imagine a PM telling the public that crime is on the rise and must be addressed, when the truth states the contrary? Perhaps I missed it, but on all the political shows I watched, the hosts focused on the Bill and how Dion would respond, rather than stating the obvious. Crime is down so why is this necessary?

What's really odd about this Bill is that they sound so ridiculous trying to defend the move. I suppose that doesn't bother them as they must be used to that by now. I'm sure to their way of thinking, this makes them look "tough on crime".

In an interesting move today, the Liberals stated once again that they are willing to fast track the bill. The con's can continue to suggest that the opposition is slowing down their crime agenda, but it's patently false.

This whole "crime" agenda doesn't end there though. A prison review panel is due to report to government. They will recommend scrapping mandatory release. Like most things, this is a complicated issue. Sadly, it's yet another one that the con's can put simple words to. They can woo the masses with simplistic statements like, "who could argue with not letting criminals before they've done their time?". That misses the point of course, but they cannot speak to what is important.

Simplistic is obviously the modus operandi of the Conservatives. 5 points, keep it simple, that's all the people of this country can digest. Smart politics? Maybe, but it is such an insult to who we are, I'm surprised it works. I know we are in the age of quick, quick, sound bite, next...but that does not mean that we cannot digest larger, grander concepts. Good grief, anyone who has a life knows that we balance complex issues every day.

The point is, the con's choose complex issues and frame them in terms that make your life easier. They are basically saying, we won't bother you with details, trust us, we'll look after you. Interesting coming from a Party who out of the other side of their mouths say, "we trust you to look after yourselves and we don't believe that government should do that". Hypocrisy is not something they shy away from.

What is most disturbing to me, is that this issue and many others have been reduced to political posturing, strategy and tactics. The important and much larger picture, Good Governance for instance, is being ignored.

Where is the question, is this good for the country? That seems to have escaped every one's purview, specifically those who should be asking the tough questions.

Bottom line, the con's are implementing flawed legislation, by stealth. This is very bad for the country my friends. That's not meant to frighten, it's truth.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

What you fail to mention that it also defeats the purpose of having gun control.

Reason is simple ever since the Conservatives came to power they have giving amnesty to people who didn't register their
firearms.

So for all intent and purpose the gun control is dead,because its not enforced by the government. Crime still went down imagine that.

Crime was going down before the liberals passed the gun control law.

What is it you have to say for your self about this? Forget if you like guns or not it has no bearing.

Mary

Anonymous said...

population keeps all numbers in check, either way the severity of crimes seems to be increasing from your run of the middle single homicide to multiples....and other just plan sick crap

Ryan said...

As long as there are a Ferrari's to be stolen, there will be Conservatives to fear it.

ottlib said...

knb: Since when has reality ever been important in politics? :)

It is an interesting phenomenon of being the party of "law-and-order" that you can never actually achieve it because then you will have lost your "wedge" issue.

So even if the Conservatives do pass this omnibus crime bill they will still find some other issue with which to convince Canadians they are still not safe from those nefarious criminals out there.

Gayle said...

This is the thing about the conservatives that I hate the most. They completely ignore research, preferring to legislate by ideology rather than facts.

I read in the Edmonton Journal today that our defence spending has increased greatly and is now at its highest level since WWII. Add to that the extra billions of dollars for prisons (the estimate in the article you linked to limited itself to the increase caused by cancelling statutory release - consider the additional prison population due to the minimum sentences etc and you see the costs are much higher. New prisons are going to have to be built).

I think it is time this government became a little more honest with Canadians and tell us what we are going to have to give up in order to fund this war on terror and the war on crime.

By teh way, research has shown that an increased police presence can decrease crime. I would prefer the government give more money to the police than the prisons.