Wallaceburg – Bev Shipley, Member of Parliament for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex and Chatham-Kent-Essex MP Dave Van Kesteren hosted a roundtable at the University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus, and was joined by the Honourable Rob Nicholson, M.P. for Niagara Falls, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, and the Zone 6 Association of Chiefs of Police.  The meeting offered an opportunity for Minister Nicholson to receive feedback and insight from local law enforcement officials on a number of criminal justice issues.

“Our Government remains unwavering in our commitment to fighting crime and protecting Canadians so that our communities are safe places for people to live, raise their families and do business,” said Minister Nicholson. “We are eager to continue working in partnership with the provinces and territories, with law enforcement officials, and with the legal profession to ensure that our justice system is responsive to the needs of the people of Canada.”

“I am pleased to have the Minister in our area and I appreciate the members of the Association taking time to meet with us,” said Shipley. “I believe it is important for all of us, Minister Nicolson, Dave and I as Members of Parliament and for the Association members to have these kinds of opportunities to exchange ideas, hear concerns and evaluate the impact our government’s action are having in terms of reducing crime and making families and communities safer.”

Shipley said he was pleased with the dialogue and noted that Association members expressed their appreciation to have the opportunity to provide their input and support, particularly as they related to inadequate sentences for career criminals.

Shipley noted, “While I am pleased with the progress we have made on our justice agenda, more still needs to be done and I am very hopeful that we will be able to get through the logjam of legislation that has been stalled or gutted in the Senate.”

Shipley said the Government’s focus is clear on crime issues. “We believe the protection and the rights of victims must take priority over criminals. Criminals must be forced to accept responsibility for their actions and that means tougher sentences, mandatory sentences fro drug dealers and viloent offenders and eliminating the practice of awarding criminals credit for time served in pre sentence custody.”

Close to 20 participants from the Association of the Chiefs of Police were in attendance, which included representation from regional municipal police services, Ontario Provincial Police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.