Christian Provenzano defends Liberal handgun strategy

NEWS RELEASE

CHRISTIAN PROVENZANO LIBERAL CANDIDATE

*********************** Media Advisory: Addressing the Safer Communities Strategy

"Our goals have been and will continue to be focused on keeping both rural and urban centres safe nationwide," says local Liberal candidate Christian Provenzano when asked about criticisms made towards the proposed handgun legislation. "Something the NDP and Conservatives fail to mention when criticizing this legislation is the 11 percent reduction in the national crime rate since Canadians elected a Liberal government in 1993. A comprehensive Safer Communities Strategy addresses not only punishing offenders, but also focuses on addressing the root causes of violent crimes."

The new Safer Communities Strategy announced by Prime Minister Paul Martin addresses several key issues affecting citizens in both rural and major urban centres:

- $50 million over five years will be provided for a Rural Community Safety Plan to fund community-based crime prevention initiatives in communities under 100,000 in population. It could also be targeted for training of law enforcement in these areas to deal with drug-related crimes or other priorities identified by these communities

- there will be a waiver of re-licensing fees for owners of long guns to encourage full compliance with the Canada Firearms Program. In addition, previously paid re-licensing fees will be refunded to long gun owners

- legitimate target shooters who meet requirements would be eligible for an exemption to the handgun ban, which would be established in partnership with the provinces and territories.

- there will be an invest of $40 million over five years to hire 75 additional specialized officers in the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to increase intelligence and surveillance and stem the flow of illegal firearms into Canada

The Liberal government is working harder to get tough on crime - on October 27, Justice Minister Cotler also introduced reforms to conditional sentencing. Those reforms would prevent courts from using conditional sentences in cases of: serious personal injury offences as defined in the Criminal Code, such as all forms of sexual assault; terrorist activities; organized crime-related offences; as well as other serious offences.

Commenting on this program Provenzano says, "These are just some of the measures that our government has undertaken - and our campaign is working. Whether it's funding programs to prevent crime, strengthening penalties or ensuring that violent criminals are brought to justice, the Liberal government is committed to protecting our communities.

************************