A new statutory court to hold trials for minor criminal offences within one week of arrest is among the key planks of the Conservative Party of B.C.'s public safety platform released Monday (Oct. 7).
Leader John Rustad said this new court would speed those cases through the system, which the party says says can often face delays of between 12 and 18 months.
"This is to get...the consequences that are needed for the criminal actions that have been done," he said.
Rustad also pledged the Conservatives would train and hire more police officers while criticizing the work of B.C. NDP Leader David Eby, who co-authored a book on how to sue the police in small claims court while with Pivot Legal Society, and a guide to the civil rights of individuals when dealing with police while with B.C. Civil Liberties Association.
He also promised — without citing any budget figures — that his government would hire more sheriffs and judges to clear "the massive court backlog."
Other initiatives would involve working with the federal government, including improving border and port security, going after organized crime, and fighting for mandatory minimum sentences for violent offenders.
"This is a federal issue," he said. "We need to take on the federal government to bring this forward. For these prolific offenders, there need to be added consequences for these crimes."
Another plank pledged greater transparency in the administration of justice, including making audio recordings of all court proceedings available online. Rustad said this move will give people the ability to witness exactly how our courts are operating.
"I'm hearing from parents across the province that they are concerned when justice is being served in court, that justice is not been seen," he said.
Rustad made these comments in the presence of Conservative candidate Melissa De Genova (Vancouver-Yaletown) in a part of Vancouver's Downtown, where two random attacks last month left one man dead and another severely wounded with his hand cut off. Authorities have since charged Brendan Colin McBride with aggravated assault and second-degree murder in the incident.
It not only made headlines across the province, but also placed a focus on the related issue of public safety and mental health. The 34-year-old McBride had what police have called a "lengthy history of mental health-related incidents" and had received probationary sentences of 12 months and 18 months in July 2022 and September 2023 respectively.
Rustad's choice of location continues his pattern of underscoring policy proposals with related visuals. On Saturday, he announced plans to end homeless camps near the site of a homeless camp in Kelowna. On Monday, he repeated his party's pledge to remove "dangerous tent cities across B.C" with their relocated residents to receive appropriate support services, while ensuring "zero tolerance" for tent cities on provincially-owned land.
Other key elements of the Conservatives' B.C. Safe Plan include previously announced pledges to end decriminalization and safe supply, and enforce mandatory mental health treatment for those who pose a danger to themselves and others.
Before the election campaign, the B.C. NDP lobbied Ottawa for reforms to the bail system effective since early this year. The changes put the onus on repeat violent offenders to justify bail. NDP Leader David Eby has also pledged to put more money toward a stronger police presence in downtown cores among other measures, including the hiring of 250 RCMP officers, the creation of 12 regional policing hubs and the proposed introduction of involuntary care.
