Canada’s justice system has allowed criminals to use mental illness as a way to dodge justice. The Conservative government introduced a new “high risk” label for people found not criminally responsible for a crime they’ve committed. While this modification to the Criminal Code is a step in the right direction, it would also be beneficial to enact and focus on crime prevention before these people enter the system.

Newly appointed Conservative Senators are finding their perks rather appealing – so appealing that they are cheating taxpayers to cash in. First Patrick Brazeau abused the system, and now Mike Duffy. We can all agree they should repay their takings and we all agree their expenses will never outweigh their salaries. We can, then, agree the housing allowance perk should be scrapped and the savings be refunded.

The Conservatives are usually the ones prided with policies pertaining to national security and protecting countries from foreign threats. Not only did the Conservatives fail to live up to their mantra, they endangered our allies.

Two weeks after American food inspectors stopped the import of Canadian beef products infected with E. Coli,  the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has finally started rolling out recalls for meats and has finally pulled the plug on its source: XL Foods based in Alberta. After 2 weeks, Canadians are weary and uncertain of the meats in their freezers. Most of our stores are still uncertain as to whether they carried the contaminated meats.

While the Conservatives and NDP divide the East and West over the effects of the tar sands in terms of the economy and effectively play political games, and while Harper gets funded by oil lobbyists to attack Environmentalists as radical terrorists, an oil spill in Alberta is proving the dangers of the project.

The alleged killer and dismemberer of a Montreal Chinese Exchange student Luka Rocco Magnotta was arrested in Berlin after fleeing to Paris. Berlin Police said he didn’t resist but instead uttered, “You got me.” He was spotted by a client in an Internet café by a client who said he was reading about himself on a computer.

Conservative Party headquarters made a gruesome discovery yesterday when a package delivered to them contained a severed foot. Police found a second package which was addressed to the Liberal Party Headquarters – this one containing a hand. Police believe the parts came from a body they found in Montreal and there is a nation-wide warrant for Luka Rocco Magnotta’s arrest.

For a government that touted its record on public safety, this budget shows that its priority is anything but. Instead of cutting the bureaucrats they added when elected in 2006, the Conservatives took a direct assault on services Canadians need.

The Conservative crime bill will be put to a final vote tonight where their majority in numbers will allow it to pass.