Raitt Applauds Advancements in Public Safety

June 01, 2009

Conservative Government’s Reforms Mean Safer Streets in Halton

BURLINGTON, ONTARIO. Today, Member of Parliament for Halton, Lisa Raitt, applauded the efforts of Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan in addressing some of the problems with the National Sex Offender Registry.

“If adopted, these proposals by the Conservative Government would make the registration of sex offenders automatic on conviction,” said Raitt. “This will serve as a preemptive measure that police can use to help to target and identify threats before criminal acts are carried out.”

Proposed amendments in the legislation include:

• Automatic inclusion of all convicted sex offenders in the Registry - as opposed to the current scheme where prosecutors must apply and a judge has discretion whether to include a convicted sex offender in the registry.
• Offenders convicted of a designated sexual offence under the Sex Offender Information Registration Act will also now be subject to a mandatory order to provide a DNA sample for the National DNA Databank;
• Police will be empowered to use the Registry to prevent sexual offences, unlike now where they can only use the registry to investigate crimes after they are committed;
• People who are convicted and jailed for sex crimes in another country who return to Canada under the International Transfers of Offenders Act to serve the remainder of their sentence will now be registered in the Sex Offender Registry;
• Canadians convicted abroad of sex crimes and returning to Canada at the end of sentence must report their conviction to police within 7 days of arriving in Canada or face criminal prosecution;
• Police to notify foreign or other Canadian police when high-risk registered sex offenders are travelling to that area; and,
• Amendments to the National Defence Act to ensure that reforms also apply to the military justice system.

On Parliament Hill, joined by victim advocates, Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan announced the sweeping changes to the system. “Police services and victims’ groups have been clear – the National Sex Offender Registry must be strengthened so that it better protects our children and communities from sexual predators,” said Minister Van Loan. “The changes we are proposing today will enhance public safety and make the Registry and the National DNA Data Bank more effective tools for police not only to investigate but also prevent sex crimes.”