Our communities are growing faster than ever. The nature of crime is changing. But our policing legislation is 33 years old. We must innovate. Yesterday we passed Bill 102, the Strengthening Safety Modernizing Justice Act, a set of updated, upgraded laws to keep Ontario safe.
As our communities grow, so do their policing needs. We need more boots on the ground to keep them safe. In the next 5 years, hundreds of police officers will retire. Officials have told us that their staffing levels are at a crisis.
Some recruits can’t afford tuition. They can't take 4 years away from their job to get a post-secondary degree before applying to police college. By removing the post-secondary education requirement, we are eliminating barriers faced by recruits without great financial means.
Every animal deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. In 2019 we passed the Provincial Animal Welfare Service Act, or PAWS, the first provincially-based animal welfare enforcement system in Canada. Since then, over 3,200 animals have been removed from harmful situations
We must build upon it’s success by doubling-down on what works. SSMJ will enhance the enforcements capabilities of our animal welfare inspectors, ensuring compliance from those charged and improving animal welfare across Ontario.
The coroner’s office is tasked with examining bodies to determine the circumstances of their death. Their work can help our government identify worrying trends in public health and advise us on how to counter them.
The SSMJ will allow them to store tissue samples not immediately required for investigations. This change means samples can be used to future advances in health and forensic sciences, improving our knowledge about genetic connections to medical conditions.
SSMJ is a good step toward ensuring the safety of our communities. But its main purpose is to support the implementation of another piece of legislation. With the passing of SSMJ, we are closer to bringing the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019 into force.
The CSPA, upon receiving Royal Assent, will set new standards that will make our police more accountable and transparent. For example, it will allow a police chief to suspend an officer without pay if charged with a serious offence.
Everything we have relies on safe communities. Our lifestyle, our living and our democracy require peace and stability to exist. Amendments made by the SSMJ will create a law enforcement system that better reflects Ontario’s present needs and values.
Our government has made public safety a priority. My sincere thanks to @ONsafety for their work to make this bill a law. Thanks to @fordnation, we are supporting the front-line heroes who keep us safe. Because a safe Ontario is a #StrongOntario.