Recently, in an op-ed piece, Bruce Walkinshaw wrote about punishment and crime. He says he is “thrilled” that the federal Conservative government is planning to spend billions on new prisons. He expects these places will be like hospitals where people can learn to get along. He hopes the ugly inmates can get plastic surgery to help with their self-esteem issues, too. It’s a rosy picture, full of sweetness and light.
He goes on to support the decriminalization of cannabis, though, which is good, pointing out that current policies only help tobacco, pharmaceutical companies and criminal organizations get rich. But, as a solution, he shares this advice to the Conservatives: “… turn your attention to Auto-Tune”, he says, without elaborating.
It is not surprising, then, that Scott Newark gets such intoxicated praise. But even the former Crown prosecutor says we need to be “not tough on crime, but honest on crime”. Indeed, Mr Newark was a special adviser to Stockwell Day and is still trying to get our faithful MP out of that embarrassing jam caused by the “disturbing rise in unreported crime,” statement, at which many critics still point and laugh. Also, Mr Newark is a proponent of the American-style, industrial-prison-complex that will, surely, divide our community in half, soon. His detractors deserve attention.
Bruce Walkinshaw’s defence of the Conservative agenda ends badly. He drifts off into a nightmare vision, clawing and collecting DNA so his murderer will be deprived of the next three James Bond movies. Perhaps I am losing my sense of humour. Or perhaps, “Auto-Tune” is the same as self-medicate; I don’t know.
Geoff Burton
Penticton