From the Computer of
Dave Van Kesteren, MP
Chatham-Kent-Essex
www.davevankesteren.ca

-Staying Connected-

Safer Streets, Stronger Communities

July 2009

Dear Constituent,

I hope you and your family had a happy Canada Day. Now that Parliament is on break for the Summer and I'm spending more time around the riding.

One of the concerns that I've noticed is on a lot of people's minds is fighting crime. I'm proud of our government's crime-fighting accomplishments but our work is far from finished.

Very recently we introduced new bills that will keep murderers off our streets, respect victims and their families, and strengthen the national sex-offender registry.

I've included more information about these and more initiatives below for you if you're interested.

As always, if you have any questions or wish to share your thoughts, please never hesitate to get in touch with me.

All the best,

- Dave

Respecting Victims and Tackling Crime

Automatic Sex-Offender Registration:
Our Conservative government is working to change the law so that anybody convicted of a Sex Crime in Canada will automatically be added to the National Sex Offender Registry and the National DNA Data Bank.

This compares to the current situation where prosecutors must apply to put a convicted sex offender on the registry and a judge has discretion over whether or not to do so.
For more detailed information - click here.

Strengthening Victims' Rights:
We're enshrining into law measures that will respect victims and their families. We're establishing a victim's right to participate in Parole Board hearings, and we're working to permit the disclosure to a victim of the name and location of the institution the offender is held.
To find out how - click here.

Serious Time for the Most Serious Crime:
A new bill has been introduced that will keep murderers off our streets. This law would make parole impossible for at least 25 years for criminals serving a life sentence for first degree murder.

For convicted murderers who are currently serving a life sentence, this new law would bring peace of mind for victims' families by creating limited 3-month windows to apply for parole and a minimum 5 year waiting period to reapply for parole after the window closes.
For more detailed information - click here.

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if you have questions or comments, please email me at vanked0@parl.gc.ca or call me at 519-358-7555 (Chatham) 519-326-9655 (Leamington).