Government Supports Private Member's Bill, the Criminal Organization Recruitment Act

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - May 1, 2012) - The Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Niagara Falls, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announced the Government's support for a Private Member's Bill, the Criminal Organization Recruitment Act, sponsored by Parm Gill, M.P. for Brampton-Springdale.

"Our government is committed to keeping our streets and communities safe, which is why our government will vote in support of this Private Member's Bill," said Minister Nicholson. "I applaud Parm Gill for his efforts to help protect youth from the threat posed by organized crime groups."

The provisions of the Criminal Organization Recruitment Act would create a new indictable Criminal Code offence to prohibit recruiting or encouraging a person to join a criminal organization. The new offence would be punishable by a maximum of five years' imprisonment and carry a mandatory minimum penalty of six months if the person recruited is under the age of 18.

"Parents want gangs off their streets and out of their neighbourhoods," said Mr. Gill. "By tackling organized crime head-on, we are creating even safer places for families to live and raise children."

The Government has introduced a number of reforms to target organized crime, including:

• the Safe Streets and Communities Act, which will create mandatory minimum penalties for gang-related drug crimes;
• the Tackling Violent Crime Act, which included mandatory minimum penalties for serious offences involving firearms and organized crime;
• an Act to amend the Criminal Code (organized crime and protection of justice system participants), which made all murders connected to organized crime automatically first-degree murder and created a new offence to target drive-by and other reckless shootings; and
• an Act to amend the Criminal Code (auto theft and trafficking in property obtained by crime), which amended the Criminal Code to address auto theft and trafficking in property obtained by crime.

The Government of Canada will continue to fight crime and protect Canadians so that their communities are safe places for people to live, raise their families and do business.

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