| Gangsters free to roam in C FRIDAY'S W5 show presented an interview with former Sicilian Mafiosi, Francisco deCarlo, who painted a picture of lenient laws, prison play pens and overworked, under- funded police organiza- tions as the reason Canada is the destina- tion of choice for many of the world’s most powerful gangsters. The message is not new, but it was interesting to hear a high-level gangster admit it publicly. What was also inter- esting, was the prime minister's response to the comments and the show. “We passed a law on these problems,” Jean Chrétien said, as if that was all that was needed. But, Le “tit Jean couldn't let the stupidity rest + at that. He had to continue, “We changed the laws, for example, for those who belonged to ‘Organized crime that it is more strict for them for parole Leo Knight crime and punishment and so on. J can xe through a tong list.” bragged the PM. He then went on te stress that his government had given an additional $500 million to the RCMP to “fight orga- nized crime.” One hardly knows where to begin to show what a bunch of horse crap these statements by Chretien really are. But, horse crar they are. Let's start with the $500 million. Last year, an indepen- dent audit was done af the national operations of the RCMP by a major national accounting firm hired by the government. The report ree- ommended the Liberals must provide over $540 million in additional annual funding just to restore the force to “mini- mally acceptable levels.” Chrétien shorted the RCMP by over S40 million then claimed the money was given to the fight against organized crime. Much of -ne money was eaten up in the previously negotiated wage increases for the RCMP which had its wages frozen for six of the seven vears of Chrétien gov- erment. A large segment went to recruiting and train- ing new members of the force to fill the nearly 500-member shortfall, courtesy of the came Liberal government. So inuch for putting $500 million into the fight against organized crime, The “laws passed,” Chretien referred to were amendments to the money: laundering legislation forcing, financial institutions to report suspicious transactions — something every other coun- try in the G-7 has had for years and have been clamour- ing for Canada to enact, The only other law was the so- called “anti-gang” legislation, C-95, which to date has yet to yield a single successtul prove- cution, Wednesday, November 15, 2000 - North Shore News - 7 Bragying that he has ~ charged the laws, for example, for those who belong to orga- nized crime that it is more strict for them for parole,” such utter claptrap it letics logic that any politician would try and defend this as a good example of bis record in the fight against organized crime. There is not a major crimi- nal organization in the werld that does not have significant operations in Canada today. Many crintinal leaders have sought and obtained refuge in this country. ‘They contrel their global empires trom within the confines of our nation and the prime minister says “we have passed a iaw on these problems,” and shrugs the eniticism off. Consider this quote from Superintendent Ben Soave, AYLORMOT B.C.AA., A-RA,, 1C.5.C, Approved the RCMP officer who leads the joint forces operations in Ontario and the man responsi- ble for taking down the lead- ership of the Cuntrera/ Caruana organization in ‘Toronto last year: “Canada is heaven for Matiosi of every sore,” said Soave. “The laws we have, far from scaring them away, encourage crimi- nals to come to Canada.” The mobsters and the police agree. But not the prime minister. He shrugs and says the problem is solved because they have passed laws and made it stricter for orga- nized criminals on parole. 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