Poilievre announces plans for Conservative bill to mandate max-security prison for ‘mass murderers’ after Paul Bernardo outcry
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre announced Sunday that the party will introduce a bill to make it mandatory for mass murderers" to serve their sentences in maximum-security prisons, amid ongoing public outcry over a decision to move notorious schoolgirl killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security prison.
Since this outrage has become known, (Prime Minister Justin) Trudeau has done nothing so we're introducing a bill that would ban the Trudeau government from moving mass murderers into medium security," Poilievre said at a news conference.
The Conservative bill would require every mass murderer to serve out their full sentences in maximum security."
The bill, which will be soon introduced by Conservative MP Tony Baldinelli, comes after Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said Canada's prison system has some explaining to do over its incomprehensible" decision.
The Star has reached out to Public Safety Canada for comment.
Bernardo is serving a life sentence for kidnapping, torturing and killing Leslie Mahaffy, 14, and Kristen French, 15, in the early 1990s near St. Catharines. He lured the girls into his car and then, with the help of his fiancee-then-wife Karla Homolka, kept them prisoner in the couple's Port Dalhousie home where they were raped and murdered.
He was also found guilty of manslaughter in the rape and drugging death of Homolka's sister Tammy, 15.
After his trial, Bernardo confessed to raping 14 women - 13 as the dreaded Scarborough rapist. He attacked most from behind, dragging them into bushes with a knife to their throats. Rather than going through another trial, the Crown applied that he be declared a dangerous offender" - a designation reserved for Canada's most violent criminals and sexual predators. Bernardo agreed.
Homolka, for her part, served 12 years after a controversial plea bargain that saw her testify against Bernardo. She is now believed to be living in Quebec.
In a maximum-security prison, movement, association and privileges are very restricted," according to Correctional Service of Canada, and they are designed to house inmates who present a greater threat to public safety, require more supervision or have a higher chance of attempting to escape. These institutions aim to prepare inmates for medium-security prisons, which is done through programs, employment and educational activities, CSC says.
Medium-security prisons, on the other hand, give inmates more freedom of movement, association and privileges as they are moderately restricted." These institutions allow for more interaction between inmates, which CSC says allows them to take responsibility for their actions, and co-operate with each other." It also helps prepare" them for a minimum-security institution, CSC says.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford had also called for corrections commissioner Anne Kelly to quit or be fired.
Amping up his rhetoric by calling Bernardo a scumbag" who should rot in hell," the premier said Bernardo's transfer has shattered public trust.
I'm going to quote the correctional services commissioner - We want Canadians to have confidence in our decisions.' Well, commissioner, I'll tell you, no Canadians have confidence in your decisions," Ford thundered in the legislature.
You should step aside, step down or be fired."
Last week, Correctional Service of Canada defended its decision to uphold Bernardo's privacy rights. It said Bernardo was transferred as a result of a review into his security classification, which is required every two years.
With files from Alessia Passafiume and The Canadian Press
Joanna Chiu is a B.C.-based staff reporter for the Star. She covers global and national affairs. Follow her on Twitter: @joannachiu