Tuesday’s letters: No need for failed ‘three-strikes’ law

Re. “Tories target repeat offenders,” April 10

Canadians want safer streets and real consequences for violent repeat offenders — and we already have a system that could deliver exactly that. The dangerous offender (DO) designation in the Criminal Code allows courts to impose indefinite prison sentences on high-risk, repeat violent criminals, when the DO application is backed by expert assessments and judicial oversight.

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If a prosecutor is given the discretion to proceed with a DO application, it can be applied after just one serious offence where there is a pattern of danger; no need to wait for three separate convictions. The problem is the Alberta government has not given Alberta prosecutors the much-needed discretion and resources to make the law work for Alberta communities.

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What we need is not new laws, but better funding for the enforcement of the laws we already have. Let’s keep violent offenders off the streets, but let’s do it in a way that actually works — not by importing failed U.S.-style policies that fill prisons without making communities safer.

Neil LeMay, Edmonton

Carney copies Conservative policies

Have you noticed? Poilievre makes a policy announcement on his campaign, and soon after, Carney announces the same policy idea. Also, when Trudeau left office and the polls were in the tank, an impending increase in the gas tax in April was suddenly chucked. That increase had been endorsed by Carney. It appears that the Liberal Party didn’t do their policy homework with their new unelected leader.

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The Liberals ran on Trudeau’s famous last name on his first election. It appears they’re using Carney’s name only and embarrassingly, copying Conservative policies after Poilievre announces them. I know Poilievre was told not to use cutesy names against Carney, but I can’t help myself. It’s no longer Carbon Tax Carney; we have Copy Cat Carney. And that is a fact.

L.G. Anderson, Spruce Grove

No more bike lanes; Fix potholes

Re. “132 Avenue project has been a disaster,” Letters, April 10

Cheers to Una Warner who pointed out the fiscal waste of this roadway project. Reducing a four-lane roadway to two lanes with no left turn lanes is begging for traffic issues. To install two bike lanes on either side of the avenue is sheer overkill when I have yet to see a bicycle using the existing lanes installed to date.

The city planners who designed the roadway changes would best serve the city by filling up the potholes and focus on repaving some of the goat trails called roads throughout our city. I hope our next city council will focus on some basic needs.

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Ken Trueman, Edmonton

Letters welcome

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