For Immediate Release
June 6, 2007
DALTON MCGUINTY’S WHACK-A-MOLE APPROACH TO GANGS
Public relations comes before public safety
(Queen’s Park) – Today, Progressive Conservative MPPs Christine Elliott (Whitby – Ajax) and Garfield Dunlop (Simcoe North) said that Dalton McGuinty’s piecemeal approach to crime has led to increased guns and gang problems in communities across the province.
“Dalton McGuinty was missing in action during the entire ‘summer of the gun’ in Toronto,” said Dunlop. “After ignoring the problems for months he scrambled to put together an announcement that has led to gangs migrating to communities outside Toronto.”
In March 2007, Windsor police Chief Glenn Stannard said, “As Toronto pushes the button on their gang stuff we're seeing the problem spread across the province.” Hamilton police Chief Brian Mullan has said “there is an influx of Toronto gang members coming to our community.”
“Hamilton, Niagara Falls, Ottawa, Thunder Bay, London, Windsor, Durham, Peel, Kenora, Waterloo – these communities all deserve to be more than an afterthought when it comes to fighting gangs and guns,” said Elliott. “The people of Ontario deserve a coordinated approach to reducing crime – not cheap election-style photo-ops.”
Dalton McGuinty has also failed to provide a coordinated approach when it comes to fighting the drug problem. Recent legislation passed by the McGuinty Liberals dealing with grow-ops contained no financial resources for its implementation. Amendments put forward by the PC Caucus to expand the Bill to cover all illegal drug production operations – including crystal meth labs – were voted down by Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals.
In December 2005, John Tory issued the report “A Time for Action: A Report on Violence Affecting Youth” that made 22 recommendations for how to reduce crime including more coordination for youth programs and stiffer penalties for gun crimes. John Tory has endorsed calls for the creation of a Youth Commissioner position.
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For More Information:
Christine Elliott Garfield Dunlop
416-325-1331 705-327-4500
