Cracking Down On White-Collar Crime

October 20, 2009

Today, the Conservative government announced new legislation to crack down on white-collar crime.

Our government understands that those who are defrauded by white-collar criminals have been victimized just as much as a person who has been mugged.
That’s why we are introducing mandatory jail sentences for those who commit fraud over $1 million. We are also ensuring that aggravating factors, such as the impact on the victim or the size of the fraud, can lead to tougher sentences. In addition, we are working to allow judges to consider financial compensation for victims, and allowing affected groups to submit Community Impact Statements to the court.

This is not the first time our government has acted to tackle this type of crime; we have also worked to prevent serious fraudsters from serving their sentences from the comfort of their homes.

However, the Liberals gutted that bill and weakened punishment for those convicted of serious fraud.

This refusal to work for Canadians’ safety is part of a disturbing Liberal trend. Most recently Michael Ignatieff’s Liberals have gutted our government’s bill to prevent convicted criminals from receiving extra credit for time served before or during a trial. They are also currently stalling a tough new law to crack down on drug dealers who target children.

The Ignatieff Liberals need to put the safety of Canadians first and end their reckless soft-on-crime agenda.
The Conservative government will always work for the safety of Canadians, their families, and their savings.