Pierre Poilievre is promising to lock up the worst of Canada's mass murderers and throw away the key.
The federal Conservative leader said Monday (April 14) that a federal Conservative government would use the notwithstanding clause to re-introduce legislation that would allow judges to impose consecutive life sentences on multiple murderers without parole eligibility beyond 25 years.
"The worst mass murderers should never be allowed back on the streets," he said. "For them, a life sentence should mean what it says — a life sentence. They should only come out in a box."
Poilievre made the announcement in Montreal, where he cited the case of Quebec mosque shooter Alexandre Bissonnette as rationale.
A court sentenced Bissonnette in 2019 to at least 40 years in prison for shooting six men in 2017 at the Islamic Cultural Centre in Quebec City. In 2022, Supreme Court of Canada ruled unanimously that Bissonnette could not wait more than 25 years to become eligible for parole in striking down a part of the criminal code that prevented discounting of multiple life sentences.
The court said at the time that the offending section represented "cruel and unusual punishment," but also stressed that murderers will not be walking free after 25 years. They would only become eligible for parole after 25 years with no guarantee that they would receive parole subject to the usual process.
"If you kill six people, you should never be eligible for parole," Poilievre said. "You should never be able to force the families of the victims to have to come and testify at a parole hearing, so that they have to relive the hell that (criminals) have exacted."
Poilievre added Monday that the defining principle of a fair justice is proportionality.
"When you kill six people, to be eligible to go back on the streets only 25 years later is not only disproportionate, but it is a violation of the Charter right of the victims and their families and I will use the charter to protect the charter."
Poilievre was referring to the use of the notwithstanding clause that allows legislatures, including the federal parliament, to pass laws notwithstanding certain sections of the charter.
When he asked whether he would use the notwithstanding clause for other policy, Poilievre said his government would only use the section to fight crime in promising to reverse several existing laws.
"We will bring in the biggest crime crackdown in Canadian history to protect the constitutional charter rights of Canadians to life, liberty and security of the person.
Poilievre said he respects Supreme Court decisions, but added that he also respects the Charter rights of Canadians to life, liberty and security.
"That right has been trampled on by the (federal) Liberals."
