Pubdate: Thu, 12 May 2005
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 The Province
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouver/theprovince/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Gordon McIntyre

NDP SOFT ON CRIME, COLEMAN SAYS

James Fires Back That Liberals Have Made Cuts To Victims' Services, Legal Aid

The NDP doesn't care about "protecting communities," Solicitor-General Rich 
Coleman told Liberal supporters yesterday.

"At best, the NDP doesn't have a plan," he said. "At worst, they don't care 
about the safety of our families and our children."

The Fort Langley-Aldergrove incumbent's remarks drew hoots of protest from 
the NDP.

"It's extraordinary to me that you see Rich Coleman coming out and saying 
we're soft on crime," NDP Leader Carole James said later in a meeting with 
the Province editorial board. "It's amazing Mr. Coleman would come out with 
that kind of statement when you take a look at his track record."

James ticked off cuts made by the Liberals, including victim-services 
counsellors and legal aid.

Coleman, meanwhile, trotted out quite the list himself.

"I could have gone on about what we've done for public safety and what 
we're doing for another hour, at least," he said.

Without getting bogged down in yesterday's nitty-gritty numbers and the 
he-said-she-said finger-pointing, it's obvious the two parties barely speak 
the same language when it comes to law and order.

The Liberals brag about hiring more police (albeit late into their 
four-year term), getting a helicopter for the Lower Mainland, starting a 
sex-offender registry and introducing civil forfeiture so criminals don't 
profit from their crimes.

The NDP wants to boost legal aid, restore the budget for native court 
workers, rehire the 70 counsellors for victims of crime and increase 
funding for addiction services and mental illness.

"I want to talk for a second about the NDP, the people that don't care 
about protecting communities, the people that won't invest in policing in 
British Columbia," Coleman said as Liberal incumbent John Nuraney, 
Burnaby-Willingdon, held up a sign that was blank other than the words, 
"NDP Plan For Public Safety."

"If you want your children protected from sex offenders, if you want 
someone to stop Internet luring in your community, if you want police 
officers integrated to deal with major crime across the province . . . 
you've got to on May 17 elect the B.C. Liberal government," Coleman said.

It was out-and-out fear-mongering, NDP candidate Gabriel Wing-On Yiu, 
Burnaby-Willingdon, countered. "I think they're really desperate. In 
Burnaby, they closed our courthouse. Our police, even for summary, minor 
disputes have to travel all the way to Vancouver. That's a waste of police 
resources and a lot of inconvenience to citizens."

Crime is a multi-facetted problem that needs a multi-pronged attack, he added.

"I think when we talk about crime and safety, law and order is just one 
angle to tackle it. We all know crime is also a very complicated social 
problem.

"The level of crime has a lot to do with social policy."
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MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman