Pubdate: Wed, 14 Dec 2011
Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)
Copyright: 2011 The Globe and Mail Company
Contact:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168
Author: Kim Mackrael

HUGE PRICE TAG FOR PROVINCES ATTACHED TO CRIME BILL

The omnibus crime bill is projected to cost significantly more than 
the Conservative government has so far revealed, and half the burden 
for putting more young offenders behind bars could be downloaded onto 
the provinces, documents obtained by The Globe and Mail suggest.

As provincial governments wrestle with deficits in a stalled economy, 
no one is interested in taking on extra costs. Ontario and Quebec 
have both said they expect Ottawa to cover all new expenses 
associated with Bill C-10. British Columbia, which lobbied for some 
of the tough changes in the legislation, now says it is concerned 
about the potential downstream costs.

But a review of the federal government documents, originally tabled 
by Justice Minister Rob Nicholson and Public Safety Minister Vic 
Toews in Parliament last spring, suggest Ottawa expects the provinces 
to shoulder a significant part of the costs of its law and order agenda.

"While the jurisdictions are likely to request that the full extent 
of the projected increases be borne by the federal government, they 
would probably accept sharing the incremental costs at 50/50," states 
an estimate on a bill seeking to toughen treatment for young offenders.

Tabled in response to a rebuke from former House of Commons Speaker 
Peter Milliken in March, 2011, the documents offer partial estimates 
for the cost of more than a dozen law-and-order bills previously 
introduced by the Tories, including several that were bundled into 
the omnibus legislation this fall.

The section on changes to the Youth Criminal Justice Act, which are 
now part of Bill C-10, offers a "mid-range projection"  that the cost 
of keeping youth in custody will grow by about 33 per cent each year 
as more young offenders are put behind bars for longer periods.

Noting that it is "virtually impossible"  to project actual 
increases, the document pegs the total cost of changes to legislation 
on young offenders at $717-million over a five-year period. It adds 
that the federal government would likely end up paying half of the price tag.

Federal officials have suggested recently that Bill C-10 in its 
entirety, which includes eight other previously introduced bills, 
will cost Ottawa $78.6-million over five years.

Neither Mr. Toews's nor Mr. Nicholson's offices responded to requests 
for comment on Wednesday.

No estimates are provided in the documents on the added cost of new 
mandatory minimum sentences for those convicted of drug offences and 
sexual offences against children. A bid to end house arrest for some 
crimes will have the greatest impact on provincial and territorial 
institutions, the documents state, but no estimates are provided.

Quebec's Ministry of Public Security has estimated that Bill C-10 
will cost the province an extra $294-million to $545-million to 
expand the province's prisons and $40-million to $74-million every 
year to service the additional inmates.

The province strongly opposes the bill, arguing it will diminish its 
rehabilitative approach to young offenders, and Quebec Justice 
Minister Jean-Marc Fournier has declared that the province will not 
pick up any additional costs.

"Our position remains the same,"  David Couturier, a spokesman for 
Mr. Fournier said when contacted by The Globe and Mail on Wednesday. 
"It's their legislation ... it's up to them to pay the bills."

Ontario has also called on the federal government to cover the entire 
cost of the bill.

In B.C., where government officials had lobbied for changes to the 
Youth Criminal Justice Act, Attorney-General Shirley Bond declined to 
comment on how much she thought the federal government should cover.

"Absolutely it has downstream costs for British Columbia and for 
every other jurisdiction,"  Ms. Bond said, adding, "Yes that's a 
concern for us."

The federal government will meet with justice ministers from all of 
the provinces and territories in January, where the provinces say 
they will raise their concerns about the cost of the crime bill.

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With a report from Justine Hunter in Vancouver 
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom