On Parliament Hill

I remember all too well when in 2008 a Manitoba man, Vince Li, made headlines for stabbing,  beheading and cannibalizing 22 year old Tim McLean. As the Member of Parliament for Provencher, I was very concerned to learn of the provincial decision to grant Vince Li additional freedoms, including unescorted trips into the city of Selkirk. The Province of Manitoba did not file a single objection to any of the recommendations to grant Vince Li additional freedoms. I call upon Manitoba’s Attorney General Andrew Swan to immediately appeal the decision to grant Vince Li unescorted trips in Selkirk.

The safety of our communities is a top priority. Allowing Vince Li access to the community poses a risk to public safety. Not only that, it is an insult to the victim’s family. They had to go through the traumatic experience of losing a loved one at such a young age. Now the family is forced to relive this experience each time Vince Li is granted additional freedoms. They must also live knowing that another person could suffer the same fate as Tim McLean should Vince Li for any reason stop taking his medication regularly.

Current regulations surrounding those found not criminally responsible are not working. I am pleased that our Government put forward a piece of legislation that addresses concerns raised by victims of crime with respect to accused persons found not criminally responsible on account of a mental disorder. This case exemplifies why it is pressing that the Not Criminally Responsible Reform Act pass through the Senate and come into law. The new legislation has three main components:

• Putting Public Safety First – The legislation would explicitly set out that public safety is the paramount consideration in the decision-making process relating to accused persons found to be Not Criminally Responsible (NCR).
• Creating a High-Risk Designation – The legislation would create a new designation to protect the public from high-risk NCR accused. Upon being designated by a court as high-risk, an NCR accused would:
• Be held in custody and cannot be considered for release by a review board until their designation is revoked by a court.
• Have their review periods be extended to up to three years.
• Not be entitled to unescorted passes.
• Enhancing Victims’ Involvement – The legislation will enhance the safety of victims by ensuring that they are specifically considered when decisions are being made about accused persons found NCR; ensuring they are notified when an NCR accused is discharged; and allowing non-communications orders between an NCR accused and the victim.

It is up to us as Parliamentarians, lawmakers, and law enforcement to ensure the safety of our communities. I am glad that the Not Criminally Responsible Reform Act will put the safety of the public at the forefront of decision making and take into account the rights of victims. I hope that this piece of legislation continues through the Senate without any undue delays.