Beyond The Commons

Beyond The Commons

Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

Idea alert

by Aaron Wherry on Monday, July 26, 2010 3:13pm - 0 Comments

Joe Volpe wants to make it easier to make a citizen’s arrest.

Tags: , , ,

Bookmark and Share
  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Silly_Walks Silly_Walks

    This seems like a bad idea.

    • Emily

      I'd say it's one of those things that's likely to be good in theory, bad in practice.

      It came about because a store owner stopped and confined someone stealing from his store, and now the store owner has been charged.

      It'll end with everyone trying to arrest everybody else.

      • http://intensedebate.com/people/sea_n_mountains sea_n_mountains

        yeah. seems unlikely to go well. also prob, in some cases, dangerous to the proprietor.

      • http://intensedebate.com/people/MostlyCivil MostlyCivil

        To be clearer, the gentleman detained a guy who he videod stealing stuff. he detained him the next time he saw him, which is where he erred in law. Had he tackled the ne'er do well at the time of the actual theft, the law would work to his favour. Because it was after the fact, it became a different set of laws entirely.

        Acting on the spur of the moment as a crime is committed :citizen's arrest
        Acting on information gleaned beforehand? Police work, whether they do it or not.

        Interesting bill. Not practical.

        • Sigh

          For "detained", read "tied him up and put him in a van". Allowing citizens to do this whenever they think it appropriate worries me. It seems to be a situation ripe for abuse. Even allowing police to do it worries me.

          I think putting limits on the manner in which a suspect is detained is for the protection of everyone involved.

  • http://intensedebate.com/profiles/maxmain BC Blue

    Would it make it easier then for a citizen to arrest someone who knowingly obtains illegal political leadership donations?

  • Mike T.

    Leave it to the pros, Joe.

  • Orson Bean

    I agree it's a more complex issue than some of the chest-thumping populist news stories about the Chen case make it out to be. Some (though not all) of the comments under the National Post story which Wherry has linked to point out some of those potential problems. At least police are covered by the Police Act, a formal complaints process, etc. etc., however flawed those processes might be. I have to confess, I am concerned about Citizen Loon who has seen one too many Chuck Norris/Clint Eastwood movies, feeling "empowered" by this legislation.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Ricard_S_Argent Richard_S_Argent

    Eeesh, I dunno about this – on first glance it seems like a rrreal bad idea.

    (Didn't Joe see Police Academy 4: Citizens On Patrol? ;)

    • McC_

      come on, NOBODY saw Police Academy 4: Citizens On Patrol

      ;-)

      • http://intensedebate.com/people/MostlyCivil MostlyCivil

        Drive in. Early show. Must have been at least 8 other cars there…

  • rigtaftton

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: Joe Volpe is one of the best Liberal Party's best – maybe THE best – options for leader. Few if any other candidates will take the party as far as Volpe would. No, this is not a joke. The Liberals might not win power with Volpe as leader, but that might be inevitable. But I can guarantee you that if Volpe were leader right now, the polls would be more competitive.

    • Mike T.

      Dmitri, is that you?

      • John D

        No, it's Voe Jolpe

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/YYZ YYZ

      True, the Liberals would be running neck and neck with the NDP.

      • rigtaftton

        They already are in some polls. With Volpe at the helm, I promise you that wouldn't have happened.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/LynnTO LynnTO

      I thought Joe Volpe sealed his own fate when it was revealed he signed up ineligible (read: dead) people for party memberships in the last leadership contest.

      • rigtaftton

        He wasn't the first and he won't be the last politician to get caught playing shennanigans. And many have survived far, far worse. But parts of the Liberal base will be loyal to Volpe in a way that they weren't with Dion and Ignatieff.

        • http://intensedebate.com/people/McC_ McC_

          please explain (no snark, genuinely curious)

          • rigtaftton

            The Liberals have become (and have been in the process of becoming for a long time) something of a regional party: that is, the party of Ontario. Volpe is a creature of that part of the party in a way that guys like Dion or Iggy are not. Two objections might be made here: (1) obviously the Liberals want/need to win more than Ontario – maybe, but not by a whole lot; as Chretien showed, the key for the Liberals is to start with the strongest possible showing in Ontario, and then build from there (2) the Liberals don't dominate Ontario now they way that they did under Chretien – true, but they have to start somewhere, and they have the greatest room for growth in Ontario. Bottom line: the path to power for the Liberals pretty much begins and ends in Ontario (with a sprinkling of seats picked up elsewhere in the country). Now, I don't know if the Liberals have much of a shot at winning the next election, and I'm sure that a majority isn't in the near future. But they need to be honest with themselves, and stop going for "transcendent" candidates (Martin: win the West; Dion: unite the left; Ignatieff: win back Quebec, and magically recreate Trudeau more generally). For better and worse, the Liberals are now primarily the party of Ontario. They need someone who can milk that for all it's worth. I would recommend McGuinty getting into federal politics for the same reason. A candidate who can hold Ontario would at least stop the terminal slide which the party has been in under Ignatieff and Dion. And a more self-confident party would probably be more effective as well.

          • Orson Bean

            I think you make some valid observations. Having said that, your references to the Chretien era are telling. Chretien was able to win elections sweeping Ontario because he had one humungous advantage that current Liberal leaders do not have: a divided right. I think Chretien was an extremely skilled politician, but still, I also think that his accomplishments are overstated because an analysis of election results during his tenure clearly shows that he coasted to victories as a result of the Tory-Reform split. That's why I'm not convinced that an Ontario-based and focused leader is the solution that you think it is.

          • http://intensedebate.com/people/LynnTO LynnTO

            A candidate who can hold Ontario would at least stop the terminal slide which the party has been in under Ignatieff and Dion.

            Well, perhaps, but I'd argue the last thing the party needs is an identity that it is Ontario-centric. According to the rest of the country, being Ontario-centric makes you an elitist pr**k, so I'm not sure that's the brand identity Liberals should be going for.

            And that notwithstanding, I'm not sure McGuinty's approval ratings (current, not historical) warrant a venture into federal politics – much though he's been able to withstand criticism in his own province, the environmental policies he's been able to enact here would not fly in Alberta, the HST certainly tanked in BC, and the sliding in of the 'eco fee' under the radar wouldn't play well anywhere. It doesn't even play well in Ontario.

            And all of that notwithstanding, I'm tickled pink to see unregistered posters contribute something that isn't a talking point.

          • http://intensedebate.com/people/McC_ McC_

            In addition to Orson Bean's v.g. point, you still haven't explained why Volpe is The Guy who would win Ontario for the Liberals

      • otis

        Check your facts – Volpe was exonerated of that charge.

        • http://intensedebate.com/people/LynnTO LynnTO

          Well, perhaps – but the allegation was enough to have him revert to virtual unknown status everywhere outside his own riding.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/Halo_Override Halo_Override

      If Joe Volpe gets anywhere near the levers of power, I'm moving to Alberta and joining Wildrose.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/YYZ YYZ

    First target in a citizen's arrest? Joe Volpe.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/BGLong BGLong

    A politician wouldn't legislate or regulate on the basis of one or two incidents. Would they ?

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/NotStephen Not Stephen Colbert

    This bill is just poorly thought out and would lead to a bunch of interesting work for me in my future career as criminal defense counsel. In conclusion, I support this bill.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Jenn_ Jenn_

    This has to be one of the most civilized threads I've seen at Maclean's for about six months.

    So, if not for the bill, thanks for that, Joe.

Previous

Next

From Macleans