Ottawa, ON – The Hon. Pierre Poilievre, Leader of Canada’s Common Sense Conservatives, is demanding that Justin Trudeau ends his reckless catch-and-release policies that have led to a massive increase in car thefts.
The Problem:
Today, many people will wake up, and one of the first things they’ll do is look out of the window. Not to check the weather, but to check if their car is still sitting in their driveway. Car thefts are up 300% in Toronto and 100% in Ottawa and Montreal.
It wasn’t like this before Trudeau, as he admitted in one of his own press releases last week. Since his Liberal Government was elected in 2015, there has been a 34% surge in car thefts across Canada. In New Brunswick, car thefts have spiked by 120%, while Ontario and Quebec have seen rises of 122% and 59%, respectively.
The explosion of car theft is making life even more unaffordable for Canadians. In 2022, for the first time ever, car theft cost the insurance industry more than $1 billion, meaning everyone has to pay more each month. In Ontario, car theft claims were up 329% in the first half of 2023, adding up to more than $700 million in losses. The Insurance Bureau of Canada estimates this costs every driver in Ontario an extra $130 a year.
The Cause:
This is happening because Justin Trudeau’s dangerous catch-and-release policies have unleashed crime and chaos in our communities. Bill C-75 allows repeat offenders to be released on bail within hours of arrest, who then often go and promptly re-offend. Police are powerless to stop career car thieves. After offenders have been convicted, Trudeau’s reckless Bill C-5 allows house arrest for these criminals, even those with a long rap sheet. This means that they can just walk out their front door, and be on the streets again immediately, stealing cars and terrorizing our neighbourhoods.
And his mismanagement has allowed organized crime to turn our federal ports into parking lots for stolen vehicles that are then shipped overseas.
The Solution:
A Pierre Poilievre government will go after the real criminals by restoring jail, not bail, increasing mandatory jail time and ending house arrest for car thieves, while also increasing sentences for gang-associated car thieves. We will:
- Increase the mandatory prison time from six months to three years for a third offence of motor vehicle theft.
- Remove eligibility for house arrest if convicted of motor vehicle theft by way of indictment.
- Create a new, specific aggravating factor where the offence of motor vehicle theft is committed for the benefit of organized crime.
- Repeal catch-and-release rules in Trudeau’s Bill C-75 to ensure that repeat offenders get jail, not bail.
A Pierre Poilievre government will hit the brakes on car theft, protect your property and bring home safe streets. It’s just common sense.
Poilievre said:
“Justin Trudeau’s reckless policies have allowed car thefts to explode in our communities, and his only action to fix the mess he created is to hold a summit. Canadians don’t need another summit, they need a common sense plan to stop the theft and end the crime.
“Justin Trudeau has allowed career car thieves back onto our streets to continue spreading chaos and disorder. Common sense Conservatives will ensure these criminals stay where they belong: in jail.
“Let’s put a stop to auto theft, protect our property and bring home safer streets. That’s common sense.”