Pierre Poilievre releases four-point plan to tackle auto theft

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has announced tougher punishment for car thieves if he’s elected prime minister, including more prison time for repeat offenders.

In a campaign-style announcement in Brampton, Ont. Monday morning, Poilievre addressed what he described as a “car theft crisis” playing out across Canada, which the Liberals have said has increased 300 per cent in the Greater Toronto Area since 2015.

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Poilievre said the Liberals’ 2019 changes to Bill C-75, aimed at modernizing bail procedures in the country, are to blame and allow repeat offenders to be “out on bail within hours of arrest.”

“This is happening because [Prime Minister] Justin Trudeau’s dangerous catch-and-release policies have unleashed crime and chaos in our communities,” Poilievre said.

Poilievre revealed a four-point plan to combat the problem that has seen more than 12,000 cars stolen in Toronto in 2023 – the highest number in at least five years.

The plan includes:

1. Increasing mandatory prison time for repeat car thieves from six months to three years.
2. Removing eligibility for house arrest if convicted of a motor vehicle theft by way of indictment.
3. If the auto theft is committed on behalf of organized crime, that will be considered an “aggravating factor.”
4. So-called “catch-and-release” policies within Bill C-75 will be repealed to “ensure repeat offenders get jail and not bail.”

Poilievre’s pledge comes ahead of the Liberals’ national summit on auto theft. The Feb. 8 meeting will look at ways to stop the shipment of stolen cars to the Middle East and Africa by way of gangs and organized crime, the government said in January.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre makes an announcement in Brampton, Ont. on Feb. 5, 2024.

Last week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford spoke about auto theft in the province and vowed to keep car thieves in jail for “as long as we possibly can.”

“I've talked to friends that are sleeping with baseball bats beside their bed because someone's going to kick the door in and put a gun to their head and say, hand over your keys,” Ford said following the announcement of $121 million from the feds to help prevent gun and gang violence in Ontario.

Poilievre said car theft claims in Ontario were up 329 per cent in the first half of 2023, resulting in $700 million in losses. He said those thefts mean every driver in Ontario will pay an extra $130 a year, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

The next federal election will take place no later than October 2025.