I’ve been reading The Pink Book Volume III, and an interesting comparison came to mind as I began considering the policy proposals in the Women’s Health and Safety section, specifically the items dealing with crime and related social policy.The comparison, of course, is with the Conservative approach to “tackling crime” or whatever it is they want us to do to it these days. (as a little aside, perhaps the Tories should get behind gun control, because tackling a criminal with a loaded weapon is a bit risky!)Anyway, to keep it short, I’ll do a quick juxtoposition with Harper Reform-Conservative “tough on crime” proposals, which include:1. Removing judicial discretion from sentencing; and,2. Building more prisons despite falling crime rates. The Pink Book, on the other hand, proposes:1. Developing a national action plan to combat violence against women;2. Setting up national toll free hotlines for women being absued and for victims of trafficking;3. Amending hate crime legislation to include “sex” (thereby rightfully defining crimes against women as hate crimes);4. Immediately beginning an independent inquiry into the missing aboriginal women and girls;5. Developing a national strategy (with the provinces) to prevent the trafficking of girls and women that incorporates measures related to prevention, protection, and prosecution;6. Pass legislation to assist and protect victims of human trafficking who are without legal status in Canada.Measures of prevention? Proactive approaches to crime? Creating equality for victims of crime? How could these be any better than the Reform-Conservative crime strategy that includes measures like insulting the judiciary?I suppose this is the same old story, though. Just as the Conservatives are first in line for photo-ops with police officers, but refuse to actually support them, it’s pretty clear that protecting victims is far from their first priority. If it was, they’d do something about it, rather than retreat to their traditional lazy but loud approach to dealing with crime in Canada.
