(Surrey) Pierre Poilievre says a Conservative government would establish mandatory minimum prison sentences for those convicted of extortion.
The Leader of the Opposition says that “after eight years of Justin Trudeau and the support of the Bloc”, crimes linked to extortion have skyrocketed in Canada, with police forces in several provinces facing threats of crime organized targeting businesses.
Mr. Poilievre made the promise Friday at a shopping mall in Surrey, British Columbia, where police say shots were fired at a business last November.
The Conservative leader says his government would impose mandatory minimum sentences of three years in prison for anyone convicted of extortion, and five years for anyone who “acts on behalf of gangs or organized crime.”
He argues his party’s plan would give police and prosecutors an additional tool to target the leaders of these criminal organizations. A Conservative government would also “reinstate” the mandatory four-year minimum sentence for extortionists who use firearms.
Mr. Poilievre says arson would be considered an “aggravating circumstance” in extortion cases, and there would be a tightening of bail for repeat offenders.
His comments come amid a wave of extortion threats, shootings and arsons that police in three provinces say primarily target businesses owned by South Asian Canadians.