The Premier's response to the disgrace in Caledonia? look the other way
by John Tory
National PostÂ
February 18, 2008
Arson, extortion, barricades, land seizures, occupations, militant protests, harassment, intimidation, mob violence and threats to public safety. I'm not speaking about some lawless Third World country, this is actually happening in Ontario under the watch of Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty.
The illegal occupation of land by native protestors in Caledonia, Ont., is approaching its second anniversary -- two years that have been punctuated by violence and other illegal activities. What is happening there reflects the worst, but not the only example of the breakdown in the rule of law in Ontario.
Since the beginning of 2008 alone we have seen countless examples of lawlessness and failures in our justice system. These incidents include land developers along Ontario's Grand River being hit with extortionist "development fees" by a group claiming to represent native interests, a booming illegal cigarette industry, a major criminal trial thrown out of court due to incompetence in Ontario's Attorney-General's office. And, at the same time, criminals continue to laugh at a justice system that permits outrageous deals on sentencing and plea bargains.
These are just a few examples of the growing trend of unchecked lawlessness. Ontarians deserve better. We need to see consistency in the law and one standard for all. If I were selling illegal cigarettes or charging fees on land I unilaterally claimed was mine, I would be arrested, and rightfully so. People who break the law must be brought to justice; yet in Ontario we see increasing instances where that is not the case.
Respect of the law, the backbone of our system, is crumbling.
I find it a disgrace that Premier McGuinty is responding to the illegal activities witnessed in Caledonia and elsewhere by looking the other way. This represents an abdication of leadership, and the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario won't stand for it because the people of Ontario don't accept it -- nor should they. The people of this province are witnessing double-standards and reluctance by police officers to enforce the law due to the climate the Mc-Guinty government has created.
Ontario's PC party will use the provincial legislature and every other means we can to push Mr. Mc-Guinty to end lawlessness, respect the rule of law and fix the justice system.
There are four specific steps we want to see from the McGuinty government to restore the rule of law:
-A clear, unqualified statement that there is one rule of law for everyone in Ontario that will be upheld always.
-A policy that the Ontario government will not negotiate on the substance of any legal dispute with any person or group involved in an illegal occupation or any other illegal activity.
-A commitment to use the courts to ensure one rule of law and a commitment to not stand in the way of police enforcing the law.
-A commitment to an independent examination of the chaos presently enveloping our justice system as charges are dropped, cases are thrown out and outrageous deals are agreed to.
These four measures can make a difference for Ontario. We can stop lawlessness with a strong message, clear policy and action to back that up. A good start would be an agreement by Ontario's Liberal government to these four steps before Feb. 28, the two-year anniversary of the Caledonia occupation.
-John Tory is the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.