Conservatives breaking laws of Parliament to bury billions in a failed US-style prison system?

Mark Holland's question during Question Period in the House of Common -- Feb 9, 2011

Transcript follows:

Mark Holland (Ajax—Pickering, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the cost of the mega-prison agenda, Conservatives have said "just trust us" before. A bill that they said would cost $90 million was revealed by the Parliament Budget Officer to cost between $10 billion to $13 billion. Now they are hiding the costs of another 18 bills, breaking the laws of this House to bury billions in a California prison system that failed there and will not work here. Before they lock and load on another failed Republican policy, why will they not come clean on these costs, put them on the table, so Canadians can just how they will gut the priorities of Canadian families?

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Vic Toews (Minister of Public Safety, CPC): Mr. Speaker, our government has been very clear that the cost, in terms of the prisons, has been $2 billion, over five years. We have been very clear in that respect. However, what I would like to know from that member is why he never considers the cost to victims of criminals who are out on the street, criminals who are dangerous to ordinary law-abiding citizens. That is an individual who tours prisons and talks about the poor morale among prisoners, with never a word to the victims they victimized.

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Mark Holland (Ajax—Pickering, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I think it has been approximately two days since they attacked me personally. That is quite a long time. But that is what the Conservatives do. When they are out of the truth, when it is long behind them, they resort to personal attacks because that is all they have. However, it is not me who is saying this disastrous mega-prison system will not work. It is the entire world. In Britain, they are trying to undo the mess; the prime minister there recognizing that it turned prisons into crime factories. In the United States, the father of mega-prisons, Newt Gingrich, says that it is a complete disaster. So, if every right-wing leader in the world says the system is broke and it will not work, why is the Prime Minister standing alone?

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• prisons
• Harper