ONTARIO PUSHES FOR TOUGHER GUN LAWS

C O N F I D E N T I A L TORONTO 002966

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/16/2015
TAGS: KCRM PREL PGOV CA
SUBJECT: ONTARIO PUSHES FOR TOUGHER GUN LAWS

REF: A. TORONTO 2451

B. OTTAWA 2446

C. TORONTO 2498

Classified By: Consul General Jessica LeCroy
for reasons 1.4(B)and(D).

1.(C) Summary: On November 16 Ontario Community Safety
Minister Monte Kwinter (protect) gave the Consul General a
readout of the November 9 Whitehorse conference of provincial
and federal justice ministers to advise that Ontario had
pushed the federal government to enact tougher gun laws. End
Summary.


2. (C) As was accurately reflected in the November 16
National Post article, "Liberals' Policy Change Linked to Gun
Survey," Ontario Community Safety Minister Monte Kwinter
confirmed that Ontario had tabled a paper and pressed hard in
Whitehorse for broad mandatory sentences for gun-related
crimes. Minister Kwinter said Federal Justice Minister Irwin
Cotler and British Columbia's Attorney General Wally Oppal
had, however, strongly opposed strengthening the Federal
Criminal Code because they argue it would be an ineffective
deterrent and unnecessarily restrict judges' ability to
impose discretionary penalties tailored to individual
circumstances.


3. (C) Kwinter told the CG the Ontario delegation continued
to push for and finally achieved agreement on adding
mandatory penalties for breaking and entering for the purpose
of stealing a gun. This was much less than the "wholesale
review" of the sentencing regime the Ontario delegation had
wanted, but signified some progress. A Decima Research poll
commissioned by the Justice Department in March cited in a
November 16 National Post article indicates that a strong
majority (82 percent) of Canadians favor stricter gun
violation laws, but Minister Kwinter believed that the public
was likely to view the action as a gambit by the government
to win law-and-order votes in the upcoming election.


4. (C) At the Whitehorse meeting, Cotler announced he
planned to introduce new legislation to stiffen existing
mandatory sentences for gun crimes and to facilitate witness
protection programs before Parliament recessed on December 8,
but with the election debate frenzy underway the date might
not hold, according to Kwinter. There was very little
discussion at Whitehorse of any U.S. nexus to the Canadian
gun crime problem, Kwinter said. Gun violence spiked over
the summer in Toronto, a traditional Liberal stronghold, and
has made the party jittery about support in advance of
elections.


5. (C) Comment: The Ontario government's efforts to change
current, lax federal gun laws continues to build upon a good
foundation the Ambassador established with the Premier during
an exchange of letters on the U.S. government's commitment to
enhance law enforcement cooperation as a shared cross-border
responsibility. Premier Martin and Toronto Mayor Miller have
both recently claimed erroneously that 50 percent of the guns
used in crimes have been smuggled in from the U.S. The
Ambassador has since advised both that the statistic is
incorrect. ConGen Toronto law enforcement officers and staff
continue to engage at every level to ensure that law
enforcement policy and operational efforts are coordinated.
During the conference Minister Cotler announced his own
"three-pronged strategy" to address gun violence. It included
legislative measures and enhanced punishments, help for busy
law enforcers and prosecutors to bring gun violators to
justice, and investments to steer young people away from
crime and provide them with "hope and opportunity." Money for
the programs will come from a federal $50 million Gun
Violence and Gangs Prevention Fund also announced during the
conference. End comment.
LECROY