The West Block – Episode 32, Season 12 – National | 24CA News
THE WEST BLOCK
Episode 32, Season 12
Sunday, April 30, 2023
Host: Mercedes Stephenson
Guests:
Marco Mendicino, Public Safety Minister
David Frum, The Atlantic
Location:
Ottawa, ON
Mercedes Stephenson: Talking robust on crime: a plan to purchase again prohibitive firearms, and a cope with the Americans to crack down on cross border gun smuggling.
I’m Mercedes Stephenson. Welcome to The West Block.
Amid a spike in violent crime and allegations from the opposition that the federal government is smooth on crime, the Liberals take a brand new method. Will or not it’s sufficient?
And déjà vu, it appears like Biden versus Trump half two for the U.S. presidential race. We’ll take a more in-depth look.
An increase in violent crime, together with a tax on public transit have many Canadians involved about security of their communities. Pair that with debates over gun management, bail reform and worries about human trafficking, and there’s lots to speak about with the Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino who’s right here as we speak.
Minister, welcome to the present. Great to have you ever right here in individual.
Marco Mendicino, Public Safety Minister: Thanks for having me again.
Mercedes Stephenson: I do know on Friday you had a giant assembly with the U.S. secretary in command of homeland defence, in addition to the U.S. Attorney General. You had been speaking about cross border crime. That’s a giant problem, however lots of Canadians are questioning what you’re going to do to maintain them safer of their communities now within the face of this rising tide of violent crime.
Marco Mendicino, Public Safety Minister: Well first as you stated, we concluded a really profitable cross border crime discussion board. Secretary Mayorkas and I, my counterpart within the United States, talked about re-establishing this committee to strengthen collaboration to cope with points like gun crime. And so popping out of this discussion board, we now have negotiated 4 new or quickly to be up to date memorandum of understanding between the RCMP, Canada Border Services Agency and their American counterpart enforcement companies. What this implies in concrete phrases is extra tracing of unlawful weapons, better capability to go after ghost weapons, that are designed to evade the lengthy arm of the legislation. And lastly, extra joint operations in order that we will prosecute these criminals who attempt to visitors and terrorize their communities with weapons. And I’d level out for example, Project Moneypenny, the place very not too long ago we noticed as a by-product of that collaboration. Over 170 unlawful firearms seized. We’ve made progress. We have to make extra progress, and that is one other instance on how we’re strengthening our borders to cease the unlawful move of gun smuggling into our nation.
Mercedes Stephenson: Take us via how this works in observe, by way of permitting you to cease extra of that inflow of smuggled weapons from the United States.
Marco Mendicino, Public Safety Minister: In observe, what it means is strengthening the sharing of intelligence. So, one of many issues that legislation enforcement companies do is that they use wiretapping expertise to determine the supply of the place an unlawful gun felony community may begin after which cease that unlawful move earlier than it begins. That’s really one of many instruments that’s in our landmark laws below Bill C-21. The different factor that we will do is collaborate on each side of the border in relation to utilizing new applied sciences to go after ghost weapons. Now these are weapons…
Mercedes Stephenson: So what are ghost weapons?
Marco Mendicino, Public Safety Minister: Ghost weapons are—they use 3D expertise, 3D printer expertise. So that is quick. It’s low-cost, and it’s utilized by gangs on each side of the border. And we now have expertise that may overcome the challenges by tracing the origins of that materials, 3D weapons, after which we will prosecute and convey these criminals to justice.
Last 12 months, we seized 11,000 unlawful firearms on the border. That’s a report, however by strengthening collaboration with the United States, we will go additional. That’s how we’re strengthening our borders and stopping the unlawful move of weapons into Canada.
Mercedes Stephenson: Do you’ve any sense what the breakdown is by way of crime weapons, as a result of this query will get requested on a regular basis. It looks like there’s by no means a transparent reply. How many originate in Canada and are both authorized gun homeowners or stolen from authorized gun homeowners versus what number of are coming throughout the border?
Marco Mendicino, Public Safety Minister: It’ll rely upon who you communicate with, however I’d agree that almost all do come from the United States, and that’s one of many the reason why it’s vital to have a discussion board like this so we will coordinate the RCMP, coordinate the CBSA…
Mercedes Stephenson: But we don’t actually know precise numbers?
Marco Mendicino, Public Safety Minister: Well, you…
Mercedes Stephenson: When you’re focusing on this?
Marco Mendicino, Public Safety Minister: You might take statistics that vary anyplace between 50 to 75 per cent. There are some who say that that quantity is even greater. From my level is…
Mercedes Stephenson: From coming throughout the border?
Marco Mendicino, Public Safety Minister: Correct, which is why it’s so vital that we’re taking decisive motion and the issues that we’re speaking about right here, so rising tracing. In the final couple of years, the RCMP have elevated their capability to hint unlawful weapons by 250 per cent. We’re now going to construct on that momentum by strengthening our collaboration with the United States, and that is additionally going to be backed by $450 million into the CBSA to once more, give them extra folks, extra expertise and a better capability to cease the unlawful move of weapons into Canada.
Mercedes Stephenson: Gun Buyback program, you had a giant announcement on this final week. Critics are saying it’s shifting very, very slowly. You nonetheless don’t have a timeline for whenever you’re really going to attempt to get weapons purchased again from particular person homeowners versus companies the place it’s fairly simple to examine within the stock and go in. It’s a lot more durable to hint the place particular person weapons could be within the nation. Why is it that this far after asserting your laws you continue to don’t have a transparent plan on how that is going to be executed?
Marco Mendicino, Public Safety Minister: Well I’m going to return to that. But first, let’s take a step again for the advantage of your viewers. This authorities put in place a nationwide ban on assault model firearms. There are AR-15 model firearms which have been utilized in taking pictures tragedies like in Portapique in Truro. We simply marked the third anniversary of Port a Pic in Truro. I went to Nova Scotia with the prime minister to obtain the ultimate report of the mass casualty fee who issued 130 suggestions, one in all which was to name on the federal government to do extra work round strengthening the ban in opposition to assault model firearms. Now the logical…
Mercedes Stephenson: And simply to be clear, in Portapique, these weapons had been smuggled in from the United States, although.
Marco Mendicino, Public Safety Minister: Which is why the primary merchandise that we simply mentioned is one other present of our dedication to strengthen our work on the border. But coming again to the buyback program. You can ban them, however you’ve additionally received to just remember to take away them from our communities. And so the settlement we reached with trade leaders will assist us facilitate the primary tranche of the buyback of these…
Mercedes Stephenson: But what about with particular person Canadians, which is the far more durable half, particularly when you’ve provinces like Saskatchewan and Alberta saying, you realize, over my lifeless physique. You’re not going to take this gun.
Marco Mendicino, Public Safety Minister: Well, we’re going to work with provinces and territories. We assist them within the function of their provincial priorities, however what I need to come again to is how we’re going to be in two phases. So first, with the cooperation of gun business homeowners, we will take a primary good chunk out of the apple. We’ve already recognized with lots of onerous work, roughly 11 thousand registered assault model firearms, which we’re going to have the ability to get out of communities whereas making companies complete. Then after that, we’re going to roll out our program, which is able to give attention to particular person gun homeowners.
Mercedes Stephenson: But why don’t you’ve a plan for that but?
Marco Mendicino, Public Safety Minister: Well to begin with, it is a program that’s with out precedent. It’s nationwide in scale. Budget 2023 allocates roughly $29 million to arrange a program and the milestone that we launched final week…
Mercedes Stephenson: But it’s anticipated to price billions, isn’t it?
Marco Mendicino, Public Safety Minister: We’re going to be clear with Canadians in regards to the costing of it, however the announcement that we made final week is a major milestone as a result of we’re going to have the ability to, with the cooperation of companies, get these first 11 thousand assault model firearms off our streets and out of our communities. These are weapons that haven’t any place in our neighbourhoods.
Mercedes Stephenson: Well let’s discuss bail reform, one other massive matter with the rise in violent crime, which has been over 30 per cent since your authorities took over in 2015. There’s lots of concern about this. People are frightened about taking the bus or the subway. They’re frightened of their communities. And one of many issues that’s been recognized and your authorities has talked about is considerations about bail situations for repeat violent offenders. You’ve promised to do one thing about that. I feel that was a few month in the past. I haven’t seen something new. Will there be laws earlier than the tip of the session on bail reform?
Marco Mendicino, Public Safety Minister: The quick reply is sure. And I can inform you a bit of bit about bail as a result of as you realize, I’ve labored on the frontlines of the felony justice system. We’re dedicated to coping with this via reforms to our bail legal guidelines, together with specializing in repeat violent offenders. And I share the considerations in regards to the latest spate of violence, notably in some bigger city centres like Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary. People want to have the ability to go from level A to level B, whether or not it’s to work, or to play, or to socialize safely, together with on public transit system. But it’s not only a bail reform. We additionally have to make investments in legislation enforcement. This is a authorities that has put practically a billion into supporting legislation enforcement. We’ll have extra to say about that within the not-too-distant future. But we additionally want to handle the social determinants of gun crime. And that is the place the Liberal Party stands itself in a separate life from the Conservatives. We consider that you simply’ve received to extend the capability of native organizations on the bottom in relation to psychological well being companies. This is figure I’m doing in partnership with Minister Bennett, the primary ever federal minister of psychological well being affairs. We’ve received to go after the basis causes of crime in order that we will cease tragedy and loss earlier than it happens.
Mercedes Stephenson: And there’s definitely root causes with folks will say, you realize, if somebody is repeatedly doing the identical issues they usually’re violent, probably a hazard to society, I hear you saying that you simply acknowledge that and also you’re going to attempt to transfer ahead. Another matter that I wished to speak to you about as we speak is human smuggling, actually an incredible concern to folks. It’s additionally elevated and you’ve got people who find themselves taking super benefit of people who find themselves very weak making an attempt to cross the border. And it goes each methods. Into Canada and out of Canada, within the U.S., the RCMP have stated they actually don’t have lots of instruments to cease this. Are you wanting into altering the legal guidelines round human smuggling to make this harder?
Marco Mendicino, Public Safety Minister: Well that’s one of many issues that we mentioned as we speak on the cross border crime discussion board final week and we talked about how we will once more share data and intelligence with our American counterparts, to determine human smuggling and trafficking rings. I’ll say that we now have already in place, a nationwide human trafficking technique, which provides, once more, extra money to legislation enforcement, extra money to sufferer companies in order that we will safely reintegrate those that have been victimized. I feel one other space the place we have to do some extra work is on-line, and particularly, with younger folks, younger ladies, girls who’re groomed after which victimized because of among the sexual predators who’re on the market.
Mercedes Stephenson: We simply have a couple of moments left. But within the U.S., we noticed, after all, that raid on the so-called Chinese police stations. Canadians have heard that the RCMP put automobiles—RCMP automobiles outdoors to discourage them. Are there any developments on prices there or what the federal government is doing to stop these stations kind merely shifting to a brand new location?
Marco Mendicino, Public Safety Minister: Mercedes, I need to be very clear about this, that any type of international interference is unacceptable, together with these so-called police stations. As you realize, the RCMP has issued statements saying that they’ve taken concrete motion to close them down and I’ve each confidence that they will stay vigilant that if there are another examples of this that pop up, that they’re going to remain on prime of it. I’d additionally level out that in Budget 2023, which was not too long ago tabled and which is being debated now by Parliament, that we’re including one other $49 million to the RCMP not solely to bust up these efforts to intervene via international and hostile initiatives, however assist those that are the targets of international interference. And I can inform you that transnational repression, the intimidation, the harassment, the focusing on of individuals of assorted respectable from world wide, is a prime precedence for us. We have to assist them and that’s why the organising of the registry that I launched consultations of some weeks again that might be concluding on May 9th, so I’ll have extra to say about that.
Mercedes Stephenson: So when will that registry be coming then?
Marco Mendicino, Public Safety Minister: As shortly as we will, however we’ve additionally received to guarantee that we do it proper. So as you possibly can see, we’re full core press. This is a busy portfolio, however we’re working across the clock with our American pals, continently to maintain Canadians protected.
Mercedes Stephenson: Minister Marco Mendicino, thanks for becoming a member of us as we speak.
Marco Mendicino, Public Safety Minister: Thank you for having me.
Joe Biden, U.S. President: “That’s been the work of my first term, to fight for our democracy.”
Mercedes Stephenson: Up subsequent, U.S. President Joe Biden makes it official. He’ll be operating for re-election, setting the stage for a possible rematch with former president Donald Trump.
[Break]
Mercedes Stephenson: It has been fairly per week in American politics, beginning with a giant announcement from President Joe Biden.
Related News
Joe Biden, U.S. President: “When I ran for president four years ago, I said we’re in a battle for the soul of America and we still are. But the question we’re facing is whether in the years ahead, we have more freedom or less freedom. Let’s finish this job. I know we can, because this is the United States of America. There’s nothing, simply nothing we cannot do, if we do it together.”
Mercedes Stephenson: Biden’s 2024 re-election video was met with this response from the frontrunner for the Republicans.
Donald Trump, Former U.S. President: “There has never been a greater contrast between two successive administrations in all of American history. Ours being greatness and theirs being failure. With your support in the election, we will defeat Joe Biden in 2024. We will restore our nation’s dignity and we will prevent World War III from happening.”
Mercedes Stephenson: If what you simply heard former president Donald Trump and President Joe Biden say sounds acquainted, you’re not alone. It’s a repeat from the final presidential marketing campaign. But might there be a spoiler with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis leaping in, probably. And then after all, there’s the Tucker Carlson issue. The common Conservative Fox News host was fired from the community final week.
To discuss all of this, I’m joined by political commentator and workers author at The Atlantic, David Frum. Thanks a lot for becoming a member of us as we speak, David.
David Frum, The Atlantic: Thank you.
Mercedes Stephenson: I took a have a look at your article in The Atlantic and also you all the time have lots of perception about this. A variety of of us anticipated Joe Biden to be a one-term president, and it appears like that is probably not the case now. What do you consider how the Democrats are presently positioned heading into this race?
David Frum, The Atlantic: Well you quoted a really key sentence from his opening declaration. And right here—let me simply underscore why that is so vital. Typically, throughout the developed world, there’s a celebration of the best and a celebration of the left. And the get together of the best talks about freedom and the get together of the left talks about safety and voters stability. Right now do we want extra of each of these good issues, clearly? Do we want a bit of extra of 1 or do we want a bit of extra of the opposite?
Biden has seized the liberty problem as a result of he’s not simply operating in opposition to Donald Trump, the doubtless Republican nominee. Over the previous three years, Republicans have used their management of state governments within the aftermath of the overturning of Roe versus Wade, the abortion choice, to lock a brand new system of surveillance and harassment on American girls. The State of Idaho has put bans in place that stop minor ladies from travelling out of state unsupervised in the event that they could be pregnant. So Biden is seizing the liberty problem and saying, freedom is not only freedom for outdated folks. It’s additionally freedom for younger folks. It’s not simply freedom for males, it’s freedom for ladies, too. And that’s going to be a really highly effective theme for him in 2024.
Mercedes Stephenson: And Biden has additionally mainly caught onto this financial theme and he’s been in a position to, you had been speaking about turnaround a few of these damaging financial elements and deal with—that’s historically a Republican stronghold. When you look total on the Republican technique, the place do you see it at?
David Frum, The Atlantic: The Republicans had a method a minimum of on paper they usually’ve put an X via every part they need to have finished. They ought to have changed Trump. One of probably the most harmful and unpopular and—figures in American historical past now below felony indictment within the State of New York, most likely extra felony indictments to return. And he’s additionally combating a civil motion in New York, the place he’s been accused of rape and there’s a defamation motion. He’s not on trial for rape. He’s on trial for defamation. It’s a civil motion but when he loses, it is going to show—it’ll be proof that the rape that was complained of did occur. He’s received a number of authorized troubles. They wished to exchange him. They didn’t. They wished to discover a approach to reassure American girls that within the aftermath of the placing down on Roe versus Wade, they might not be surveilled. They wouldn’t be harassed. Indeed—however state governments are doing the other. They wanted to not make it too apparent that—I imply, each events tried to maximise the voting system to their very own benefit, however Republicans have finished issues on the state stage which might be so blatantly unfair that they really invite a counter response and the folks whose votes are alleged to be discouraged say, no. We’re turning out as a result of you possibly can’t outright forbid us. You can solely make it troublesome. Make us stand in line. We’ll stand within the line. So there are a sequence of issues and a very powerful factor of all is that they had been relying on recession in 23-24, and thus far, the recession has not materialized.
Mercedes Stephenson: When you have a look at the frontrunner, it’s Donald Trump, which lots of people didn’t count on. Some are saying perhaps Ron DeSantis can problem him. Others say that that’s unlikely. How is it that when the Republicans have had all of this time to determine who they’re going to run and lots of massive cash, which you discuss in your article which was opposing Trump that they’ve wound up on this state of affairs the place there appears to be no person who can successfully problem him, a minimum of that’s asserting thus far.
David Frum, The Atlantic: Well to the extent that the Republican Party has a central mind. The central mind did attempt to cease Donald Trump. Ron DeSantis received—was a re-elected governor of Florida in 2022 with a really good-looking majority. He’s raised $80 million of state funds. He’s received one other $40 million of cash he can use federally. And very strikingly, from the time Donald Trump left workplace in January of ’21, till a few weeks in the past, he was completely prohibited on Fox News. He by no means made an look. Fox locked him out, a devastating factor. So, the communication construction of the Republican Party, the large cash all stated we wish someone else most likely Ron DeSantis not Trump. And Trump beat them once more, as he did in 2016. DeSantis is—has simply deflated. He’s now trailing 30 factors behind Trump amongst Republicans and the Fox News embargo has damaged down. Fox isn’t—Trump is now on Fox on a regular basis, as soon as once more.
Mercedes Stephenson: And talking of Fox, after all, Tucker Carlson out of that community final week. It got here as a giant shock to lots of people. He posted a video on Twitter that some had been speculating appeared like perhaps a trial balloon that he may leap into the presidential race. Do you suppose that there’s an opportunity that can occur?
David Frum, The Atlantic: Well look, folks have lots of ego. You know, Robert Kennedy Junior, the anti-vaxxers operating for president. Marianne Williamson, the crank—crystal woman, she’s operating for president and other people run for president. But simply to place this in perspective, Tucker Carlson is a very talked-about cable news TV host. What which means is on any given evening when he was on the air, someplace round 2.5 million folks watched his present. That’s good. That’s earning money for him and for his community. There are 330 million within the United States, in order that’s—you do the mathematics—that’s 328 million or so who will not be watching the present. So, there’s a giant distinction between what it takes to make you wealthy and well-known on cable news and what it makes—takes to make you a reputable candidate for a celebration chief in an unlimited nation just like the United States.
Mercedes Stephenson: Let’s discuss age. This is one thing that I hear lots of of us speaking about in passing. The two candidates who within the frontrun—frontrunner seats: Biden and Trump are each of a major age. Joe Biden is presently 80 years outdated. He’ll be 82 at first of the 2024 presidential election marketing campaign. And if he finishes his time period, he’d be 86. Donald Trump is presently 76. That means he’d be 78 on the tart—begin of the presidential marketing campaign—pardon me—and 82 if he completed his time period. Is age an element and why do you suppose we’re seeing candidates which might be operating at such a sophisticated age, which by the way in which isn’t ageism or to counsel that individuals can’t do that job at an older age, however it’s realistically very bodily taxing and really mentally taxing.
David Frum, The Atlantic: So, half a century in the past, a bit of extra, a person named Konrad Adenauer was chancellor of Germany, and he ran for his final time period of workplace on the age of, I feel, 82 or 83 or one thing like that. And his opponents challenged him on the grounds that perhaps 82 or 83 is a bit of outdated to hunt your ultimate time period as a chancellor of Germany. And Adenauer ran on the slogan: No experiments. And his message was when he took over the job, the nation was bum flat. People had been ravenous. Now he’d been chancellor for 10 years, folks had their job—the homes had been constructed. The homes had been going up. People had motor scooters and vehicles, and issues had been coming again to regular and yeah, older than very best, however no experiments. And I feel one thing like that’s going to be Biden’s message. Yeah, he most likely is older than a president—than an individual searching for that workplace needs to be. The different is Donald Trump. And whereas Biden is a bit of slower than he was as a youthful man, Trump is simply as pathological and felony as he was as a youthful man. And going through that selection, they need the older man.
Mercedes Stephenson: A variety of of us had been very excited when Kamala Harris got here in because the vice chairman. First black lady to be in that place. We haven’t seen lots of her all through the Biden presidency. Do you suppose that’s going to vary on the marketing campaign path they usually’re going to place her within the window once more?
David Frum, The Atlantic: I feel the Biden-Harris relationship has been tangled. They haven’t showcased her, and perhaps whenever you’re a president who’s 80, you don’t wish to be reminded that there’s a youthful individual across the nook who might need the job at any second. But provided that she is the operating mate, they must make an asset out of her. She’s both an asset or a legal responsibility. And if the Democratic Party doesn’t suppose she’s an asset, who else goes to? So they should deal with her extra like one. And which means showcasing her and which means giving her the sort of jobs {that a} vice chairman can succeed at. You know, Biden, early on stated we’re going to provide her accountability for the border. Well that’s a components for failure, as a result of vice presidents have visibility, they’ve authority however they don’t have energy. So you don’t give them a job the place energy is required as a result of they will’t succeed. Give them a job the place their visibility could make a distinction and their lack of energy isn’t an issue after which they will succeed. They wanted to make her extra of a hit than they’ve finished up to now.
Mercedes Stephenson: David Frum, thanks a lot for becoming a member of us along with your perception as we speak. We admire it, as all the time.
David Frum, The Atlantic: Thank you.
Mercedes Stephenson: Up subsequent, what I’ll be watching as Alberta will get prepared for a good election race.
[Break]
Mercedes Stephenson: Now for one very last thing…
On Monday, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is anticipated to drop the writ, with voters heading to the polls on May 29th. Many expect the marketing campaign to be a wild experience between UCP chief Danielle Smith and NDP chief Rachel Notley. Polling exhibits a good race between the NDP and UCP proper now, with the 2 leaders tied at 36 per cent every of the projected vote. But a major group of Albertans, virtually one in 4 say they’re nonetheless undecided. During the marketing campaign, all eyes might be on Calgary, the place I’m from. The metropolis that should act as a litmus check as Calgary’s true blue ridings would wish to swing orange for the NDP to win. A troublesome promote for some in a predominantly Conservative province however given how voters are break up, nothing is off the desk. We’ll be protecting an in depth eye on it, and that’s our present for as we speak. .
Thanks for hanging out with us and I’ll see you subsequent Sunday.
