We’re two CPC majorities away from the CAF dusting off the Diefenbaker-era “gaydar” machine.
This isn’t balance. It’s rot. #CDNPoli #CDNelxn #elxn45
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Full piece on the transphobic debacle at the French Leaders' debate:
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Two Genders, One Cowardly Answer, and the Collapse of Liberal Courage
While Liberals Watch, the Overton Window Is Ripped Off Its Hinges and Hauled Right
![NDP Speeches: Alistair MacGregor (Highlight Reel)
"What the member for Richmond Hill is attempting to do is amend a very specific section of the Criminal Code. That is well within the rights of the federal level of government. It is very separate from victims services."
"This is not putting the rights of offenders over the rights of victims. Those are completely separate issues."
"A judge is the expert of the case and has heard all of the facts. This is about giving that person, who is in a decision-making stage, even more facts to make the correct and appropriate decision."
"It is important to hold up facts, to back up our deliberations with those facts, and not to go down some rabbit hole talking about support for offenders over the rights of victims."
"Pre-sentence reports already require that, '[an] offender’s age, maturity, character, behaviour, attitude and willingness to make amends' be included."
"We do not want to house with the general population someone who has an obvious mental health issue. That would not serve the general population well, and it certainly would not serve that particular person well."
"It is simply designed to assist the individual to obtain care and receive an appropriate sentence."
"We know that people with mental illness are overrepresented in the criminal justice system, and there are statistics on that."
"To conclude, we should be giving a judge as much information as possible to make an appropriate sentence for someone who has already been found guilty."
Alistair MacGregor’s speech underscores a commitment to justice that’s rooted in facts, care, and evidence-based decision-making. He firmly separates the rights of victims and offenders, challenging the narrative that reform measures for offenders necessarily detract from victim’s rights.
By advocating for the inclusion of mental health information in pre-sentence reports, he highlights the...
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![Liberal Party Speeches (Marco Mendicino)
"Our government will be supporting Bill C-375, and we commend the hon. member for Richmond Hill for his leadership and collaboration on the important issue of mental health in our criminal justice system."
Performative progressivism: He starts by praising the bill and its sponsor, despite the fact that this is a private member’s bill (PMB), meaning it has little to no guarantee of actual government support or prioritization. The language of “leadership and collaboration” is fluff, especially since they did not introduce this measure themselves.
"What is important for my hon. colleague to appreciate is that... [mental health considerations in sentencing] is a separate and distinct legal concept from the provisions under sections 718 and 721 of the Criminal Code..."
Technocratic over-explanation: This comes across as an attempt to drown out potential criticism by burying it in procedural language. Instead of directly addressing concerns about the bill’s vagueness or impact, he engages in legalistic hairsplitting.
"A pre-sentence report is a written document prepared by a probation officer to help the court learn more about the person to be sentenced."
Stating the obvious: This is basic information, framed as if it’s a revelation. It's meant to give the impression of action and expertise while avoiding deeper discussion on the systemic issues leading to criminalization of mentally ill people.
"The impacts of mental illness are of course not limited to the criminal justice system. They are linked to much broader challenges being faced by our society as a whole."
Broad, vague statements that sidestep responsibility: The government pretends to acknowledge systemic issues but avoids explicitly admitting how the criminalization of mental illness is exacerbated by austerity policies and neoliberal governance.
"The rate of mental illness among federal
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