Baldinelli Again Urging Liberals to Reverse Bernardo Transfer

Niagara Falls MP Tony Baldinelli says the Liberals are ignoring calls from local communities asking for Paul Bernardo to be sent back to maximum security

Niagara Falls MP Tony Baldinelli is once again urging the Liberal government to try to reverse the decision to transfer killer Paul Bernardo to a medium security prison. 

In a statement, he says the government is ignoring requests from local communities affected by his crimes. 

"Following the decision to transfer notorious serial killer Paul Bernardo out of maximum security, local communities that were most affected by his heinous crimes are speaking out and calling for action. The cities of Thorold and St. Catharines have both written to the government expressing their grave concerns about Bernardo’s transfer and are demanding that he be sent back to maximum security prison where he belongs."

Baldinelli has introduced Bill C-342, which calls for murderers and dangerous offenders to serve their entire sentences in maximum security. 

Last month, the Correctional Service of Canada defended the decision, saying it was "sound" and followed all applicable laws and policies. 

Bernardo is serving a life sentence for the murders of Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy. 

The teenagers were murdered in the Niagara area in the early 1990s. 

Baldinelli's full statement is available below: 

"Following the decision to transfer notorious serial killer Paul Bernardo out of maximum security, local communities that were most affected by his heinous crimes are speaking out and calling for action. The cities of Thorold and St. Catharines have both written to the government expressing their grave concerns about Bernardo’s transfer and are demanding that he be sent back to maximum security prison where he belongs.

These demands have been sent to the Prime Minister, his new Minister of Public Safety and local Liberal MPs Chris Bittle and Vance Badawey, but they have fallen on deaf ears as the government continues to refuse to exercise its power to require that mass murderers serve their full sentences in maximum security prisons. Instead of taking action to fix the problem his government created, Liberal MP Chris Bittle blamed those proposing solutions and those expressing concern and hurt, as 'playing politics'. Once again, this Liberal government is dividing and blaming instead of taking responsibility and fixing the problems they created. 

The Liberal Government made Bernardo’s transfer possible by passing Bill C-83 which requires that prisoners serve their sentences in the 'least restrictive environment', reversing a policy set by the last Conservative government that imposed a tougher standard on dangerous offenders. This was cited by Correctional Services Canada (CSC) in their attempt to justify the transfer.

Now, more than two months after Bernardo’s transfer they continue to fail the families of the victims and the communities that were forever scarred by Bernardo’s crimes. There is a new Public Safety Minister but just like the last one, he refuses to use his legal authority to direct CSC to ensure that every mass murderer serves their time in maximum security.

Common sense Conservatives will not allow this injustice to quietly continue. That’s why I introduced Bill C-342 which would require that multiple murderers and dangerous offenders like Bernardo serve out their entire sentences behind the walls of a maximum security prison. We will bring home justice and safety to our communities."