Tories Willing to Discuss Crime Bill?

Sometimes what bothers me about this crime bill is not how bad most of the measures are. After all we all have different values and if the Conservatives value punishment over rehabilitation that is their prerogative. It isn’t even that the measures don’t have a faint hope of accomplishing what they are supposed to. I start to lose my patience when this administration claims things which are not only untrue but are clearly insulting to the intelligence of anyone who has been paying attention to the debate. Â I lifted the following lines from an article from Canada.com which you might want to give a read over. If so just click the link at the bottom of this post.

Conservative MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Nicholson’s parliamentary secretary, affirmed the government’s position during question period Friday.

“We are always happy to work with our provincial counterparts. . . . We have responded to Quebec’s concerns with a series of past amendments, as well as a new amendment that is tabled at the justice committee now,” she said.

“We are taking a balanced approach. We are listening. It is time for the opposition to end its grandstanding, support victims and support our measures on Bill C-10.”

To begin the Conservatives have shown an unwillingness to work with anyone on this bill. I haveÂ felt the attack of a Conservative MP myself during debate of Bill C-23B which is now included in Bill C-10. That the Tories have failed to show good faith in the opposition and the Canadian public on this bill is an understatement.

Next there is a notÂ a serious criminal justice expert in the country who thinks the conservatives are taking a balanced approach. They are not listening. And the opposition is not grandstanding. The opposition is standing up for common sense and taking a firm stance against a bill that is sure to do the exact opposite of what it is supposed to accomplish.

At any rate it looks as if the damn might be breaking, if only a little. Perhaps the Tories are going to engage in some dialogue and actually allow some amendments. We can only hope because Bill C-10 is a criminological train wreck sure to cause more despair than comfort and sure to cost us an arm and leg.

Update 11.22.2011: I have beenÂ following the clause by clause review and it is becoming clear there is going to be no movement whatsoever on this bill.