Conservatives plan fines for 'illegal occupations'

Sept 24, 2007

By ANTONELLA ARTUSO, Toronto Sun

CALEDONIA -- A provincial Conservative government would rewrite the trespass laws to give police more powerful tools to end "illegal occupations" such as the 18-month-old native blockade of the Douglas Creek Estates in Caledonia, PC Leader John Tory says.

Tory said he would broaden the definition of trespass to include illegal occupations and apply the law to any person or organization who encourages such actions as well as to the people who are on site.

Maximum fines would be $2,000 for individuals and $25,000 for organizations for each day that an occupation defies a court order to stop.

RAZOR-WIRE FENCES

"It is unacceptable that residents live in the shadow of razor-wire fences," Tory said. "It is unacceptable that 37 OPP officers have been injured -- six of them seriously -- while on Caledonia assignment and several cruisers have been swarmed and damaged."

The small southwestern Ontario community was thrust into the national spotlight when a group of Six Nations protesters took over a housing site under construction on Feb. 28, 2006.

There have been numerous clashes, acts of vandalism and protests televised across the country.

Tory's decision to drive his campaign buses into Caledonia yesterday drew a furious reaction from Liberal Deputy Premier George Smitherman, who accused the Conservative leader of using the situation to his political advantage.

"(John Tory) is so desperate that he is willing to jeopardize a fragile peace for his own personal gain," Smitherman said.

NEVER LEARN

Smitherman said the Tories have not learned from the lessons of Ipperwash where a native protester was shot and killed by police in 1995 during a botched OPP raid.

"Conservatives never change. Our focus is maintaining peace, his focus is stirring the pot."

Tory said he has made seven previous visits to Caledonia to hear residents' concerns, and even attempted without success to meet with Six Nations representatives, while Premier Dalton McGuinty has yet to make an appearance.

Members of the Six Nations community have said they do not view their presence on Douglas Creek as an "illegal occupation" because they have a legitimate land claim.