PRIME Minister Mark Carney on Thursday announced new measures today that will protect Canadians and keep our communities safe.

Carney said: ““In Canada, you should be able to wake up, get in your car, drive to work, come home, and sleep soundly at night. When laws repeatedly fail to protect those basic rights, we need new laws. Canada’s new government is taking decisive action to combat crime and build stronger communities – where Canadians can feel secure in their homes, safe in their neighbourhoods, and in control of their future.”

Canada’s government will:

• Strengthen Canada’s Criminal Code to keep violent and repeat offenders out of our communities.Next week, the government will table legislation to amend the Criminal Code for crimes committed by violent and repeat offenders – those accused of serious crimes like violent auto theft, breaking and entering, human trafficking, violent assault, and sexual assault. The legislation will include the following amendments:
  • Introducing reverse-onus bail for major crimes.
  • Allowing consecutive sentencing so multiple crimes mean longer time behind bars.
  • Imposing harsher penalties for organised retail theft.
  • Restricting conditional sentences for a number of sexual offences.
• Hire 1,000 Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) personnel. In Budget 2025, the government will invest $1.8 billion over four years to increase federal policing capacity across Canada to combat crime – including online fraud, money laundering, online child sexual exploitation, and organised criminal networks that threaten Canada’s economic and national security. This funding will also go toward raising the RCMP cadet recruitment allowance to $1,000 per week and dedicating 150 new RCMP personnel to tackle financial crimes – targeting money laundering networks, organised crime, online fraud, and the recovery of illicit assets.

In parallel, Canada’s new government is working with provinces, territories, and local law enforcement to address the root causes of crime. Enforcement alone is not enough. To truly make communities safer, we must make major investments to build affordable housing, support those struggling with mental health and addictions, and reinforce programs for at-risk youth. This work is being undertaken in partnership with provinces, territories, municipalities, and local law enforcement, because to be effective, our solutions must reflect the realities of the communities we serve.