Marco Mendicino’s Meaningless Promise

Whenever Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government commits to implementing the recommendations of any committee, you know that committee’s work was in vain.

Not because the work was unimportant, but because those recommendations will never, ever, be implemented.

This was never better illustrated than by the Nova Scotia Mass Casualty Commission’s work documenting the myriad recommendations of past commissions that Justin Trudeau’s government (and every other government since 1989) has consistently ignored.[i]

The report at issue today, “A Path Forward: Reducing Gun and Gang Violence in Canada”, was issued by The House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security (SECU). [ii]

SECU’s 112-page report contains numerous recommendations we fully support.

For example, the recommendation that “the Government of Canada provide additional resources to Statistics Canada and law enforcement agencies to ensure consistency in the collection of data related to firearms smuggling, the use of firearms in the commission of a crime, and the use of firearms in gang-related crime.”

We’ve long argued that without consistent reporting across all police agencies, Statistics Canada simply cannot provide useful information to Canadians.

Another recommendation we support is for “the Government of Canada create uniform standards for tracing firearms involved in the commission of a crime, and that police services be adequately resourced in order to enhance tracing capabilities.”

These recommendations make sense. They add much-needed layers of evidence upon which we can make well-informed policy decisions.

But it’s precisely for this reason Marco Mendicino and Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government won’t implement them.

Marco Mendicino all but admits this in his statement of September 16, 2022.

“The Government agrees in principle with the Report and supports most of its recommendations.”[iii]

Mendicino then patted himself on the back, claiming “we are already taking significant action on many of the issues raised in the report.”

If that were true, Minister Mendicino, there would be no need for this report or any of its 34 recommendations.

 

Sources:

[i] https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/n-s-shooting-inquiry-promises-pragmatic-recommendations-to-make-communities-safer-1.6046441

[ii] https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/441/SECU/Reports/RP11706338/securp03/securp03-e.pdf

[iii] https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/statement-minister-mendicino-welcomes-committee-report-on-reducing-gun-and-gang-violence-808709848.html