by Rod Taylor, Deputy Leader of the CHP

first posted at No Apologies

When things go out of control or are in short supply, long line-ups, frustration and disappointment cannot be far behind. When that which is out of control is that which is meant to restrain anarchy and retain civility, those line-ups can disintegrate into mobs and that frustration can boil over into lawlessness.

The court system in Canada is out of control and justice is in short supply. Canadians have come to expect legitimate grievances to go unresolved and heinous crimes to go unpunished. No upright citizen can feel satisfied with such a state of affairs but the bloated system crawls along and those inured to its shortcomings lament the obstinate and obvious spread of apathy and mistrust.

Take, for example, some statistics from BC. I have no doubt that the other provinces are in a similar dysfunctional state of affairs. CBC recently reported that there are at least 2,500 criminal cases in BC that have been before the courts for 18 months or more. A 2-day criminal trial will now take an average of 11.2 months to work its way through the courts. Not days, months! Judges simply gave up on 109 cases last year, staying charges rather than keep victims and accused in perpetual suspense.

My favourite statement of historical and sociological truth on this situation comes from Solomon, one of the wisest men who ever lived: “Because punishment is not administered promptly, men’s hearts become even more wicked�. Simply put, if there are no appropriate consequences and if they are not felt soon after the commission of a crime, men will continue to do worse things, expecting no retribution.

Of course, changes to our judicial system are difficult. We didn’t get here overnight. Precedent and complicated judgments arising out of sometimes convoluted interpretations of Charter rights have given rise to unreasonable expectations and a harmful focus on the rights of the accused over the rights of law-abiding citizens to enjoy safe streets, homes and schools.

However, if we are ever going to clear the backlog, institute meaningful deterrence and raise the level of citizen accountability, we will have to take steps to eliminate ridiculous excuses and painful and expensive delays.

Let’s assume for a minute that most policemen are trying to do their jobs and trying to protect the citizens in their communities. We need to thank them for it. But there are some bad cops out there and they should be brought to justice quickly, sentenced or acquitted like anyone else. I appreciate the work policemen do. But if they (or anyone) is accused of violating the trust of Canadians, exploiting their positions of authority, using gratuitous violence, then they should be suspended WITHOUT PAY, until their guilt or innocence can be established. This should not be a matter of years; perhaps a couple of months. If acquitted, they should get backpay with a modest compensation package for wrongful incarceration (perhaps twice their regular payrate and a paid ad in every provincial newspaper exonerating them. If convicted, they should be stripped of any honours and fired with no chance of return. This goes for politicians, CEOs, high-level bureaucrats, union bosses, teachers and all in any position of authority. Case in point: five police officers in Toronto are just now “going on trial� for charges dating back to 2003 and before. Their investigation alone has cost taxpayers $14 million (!) yet a couple of these men have been on “paid leave� for 4 to 8 years or more!!! This is disgusting and inexcusable.

Let’s get beyond the idea that we have to let people out on bail. Why? If they did something worthy of jail time, they should be in jail, not running around the country. Bail gives rich people an advantage over the poor who can’t afford bail. Again, if they’re found innocent, pay them twice their wage for time behind bars and make sure employers can’t fire them for being “unavailable for work�—until and unless they are convicted. But don’t postpone and delay their case for months or years. If they’re arrested on a Friday, they should be in court by the next Wednesday. Gather the evidence, call up a jury and deal with the evidence.

No probation or early release for violent offenders. If ANY criminal misbehaves while on parole / probation, the probation officer takes his place in jail until he’s recaptured (up to a maximum of two years). Once recaptured, double the sentence with NO parole.

And of course, we need to immediately throw out the twisted thinking that overlooks violent crime if the perpetrator can be proven insane. The wretched shell of a man in BC who murdered his three children, leaving their bodies for his wife to discover was given two years and is now eligible for parole. Come on! You can’t make this stuff up. The only people crazier than some of these violent criminals are the people who want to release them back into society.

There also need to be some reasonable time limits on court cases themselves—the time actually spent in court. How long does it take to review the actual evidence from a murder scene and to interview the witnesses? For all but the most complicated multiple murders, why should it take more than a week? Shoplifting? Maybe an hour or two to hear witnesses and examine the evidence.

No more casual postponement of court dates. Lawyers who can’t show up (without a doctor’s note or a cancelled flight documents) will pay the court costs for rescheduling. The accused will be there because he / she will be brought from the jail cell. If the prosecution doesn’t have its evidence and witnesses lined up and loses the case they should have won…oh well, prisoner goes free. Prosecutor gets a negative review. If there is a consistently shabby performance, prosecuting attorney is fired, tries to find work as a private lawyer.

Does all this sound simplistic or harsh? Guess what? The judicial system is supposed to administer JUSTICE and protect society. We need more common sense and less wasting of time with proceedings and judgments that fail to punish the wicked and protect the just.

Join me in calling this nation back to a realistic framework for our courts. We will not only protect the innocent from crimes against them but we will help steer young people away from a life of crime, blaming the system and failing to make good choices for a productive and happy life. We owe them a just land and just laws. Our current system is a disgrace.

reposted from  No Apologies 

by Rod Taylor, Deputy Leader of the CHP

I’m a sentimental guy and I think more people should be. When I worked on the CNR for six years, maintaining track and roadbed in Alberta’s Mountain Region so that the trains could run on time, I felt like I was sharing in Canada’s history. When I was assigned for a summer to the double-tracking project in Jasper National Park, I couldn’t help but feel a connection to the pioneers of old and the Chinese labourers who helped blast the first roadbed and lay the first track through Canada’s pristine wilderness. For over 20 years I worked in BC’s lumber mills and I also enjoyed being a part of that historically-significant industry; the economic benefit that all British Columbians have received from the harvest and processing of our forest resources needs to be remembered by generations yet unborn. Likewise the contributions of Canada’s farmers, miners, fishermen and those who drilled our first oil and gas wells.

Of course, Canada’s First Peoples discovered and depended upon some of this land’s incredibly rich natural resources long before the tide of Europeans arrived and the interactions between them and the fur traders define much of Canada’s cultural character today. The rich heritage we have received from all of these folks—their deeds, their words, their artifacts—should be treasured and passed on to succeeding generations of Canadians. There are more groups who need be honoured as well: the war dead—those who were buried overseas and those who returned to live out their lives on home soil, the business entrepreneurs, the immigrant groups, journalists and on and on…

There is an aspect of this appreciation of heritage, however, that can become idolatrous if separated from its roots. CBC recently shone the spotlight on various “heritage buildings� which have either been torn down or destroyed by fire or which will succumb in time to the pressures of developers, shifting land values and shifting priorities. Indeed, some grand old buildings which have played a crucial part in Canada’s history and development are gone and “will never more be seen�. Vancouver’s Pantages Theatre, Toronto’s old Empress Hotel and various aircraft hangars used during the construction of fighter planes during WWII are among those listed as going, going, gone. While this is sad for a sentimental fellow like me, I’d like to look at this situation with a perspective focused on our “heritage�, what that means, how “values� determine “value� and how our loyalties can become misplaced.

Canada stands today—among the nations of the world—as a nation with a reputation for decency, opportunity, freedom and respect. The sacrifices made by Canadians in WWII resulted in the liberation of peoples across the water and the unraveling of Hitler’s plan to dominate the world. Our education, healthcare and system of parliamentary democracy have been, until recently, the envy of the world. Our growth and ability to supply food and energy for ourselves and those beyond our borders (and our willingness to do so) have made a huge difference in the world and continue to do so. Our personal freedoms—of speech, conscience, religion, assembly—have been a beacon of hope for folks in many lands. These freedoms and attributes and contributions to mankind are truly the heritage that we need to preserve and honour. All of them emanate, directly or indirectly, from our Judeo-Christian worldview. Our justice system is based on English common law and the Magna Carta, which in turn came about through the application of biblical principles of equality to social structures and interaction. Our first public schools and colleges were started by Christians as were many of our first hospitals and charitable organizations. The work ethic itself, the shared expectations of honesty and the respect for the property of others, the protection of the rights of minorities and of the vulnerable—all of these come from a common root: a biblical worldview that sees mankind as stewards, dependent on and responsible to the Creator God, here on this earth by His gracious design. That worldview postulates that we are the beneficiaries of the hard work and sacrifices of those who came before us as well as the willing sacrifice made for us at Calvary; it tells us that we have responsibilities, first to our Maker and also to those who come after us and that our reward for living in obedience to godly precepts is primarily in the world to come.

These concepts are the heritage that we must work to preserve and retain. If we can save a building here and there—the buildings with standout architecture or dominion-relevant interest to future generations, we should do so. But if we were to save all the buildings and lose the heritage values, the freedoms, the willingness to sacrifice for others, all we would have left are the empty shells to remind us of a heritage lost. And of course, once the heritage is lost, along with its cultural foundations, we would also lose our prosperity and our ability to maintain and protect the buildings.

All you who love Canadian heritage: step up and take your place among those seeking to defend it! We must defend it in our schools, in our courts, in our parliament and legislative assemblies, in our churches and in our communities. Buildings come and go. History is littered with their time-worn bones. The foundation upon which Canada’s heritage buildings were erected is Canada’s Christian heritage. Let’s preserve that!