Summary
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre announced plans to use the notwithstanding clause to reinstate consecutive life sentences for mass murderers, arguing that they should never be released. During a campaign stop in Montreal, he highlighted cases like Alexandre Bissonnette and Justin Bourque, who received reduced sentences after a 2022 Supreme Court ruling. Poilievre’s proposal faced criticism from Liberal leader Mark Carney, who described it as a “very dangerous step,” while Poilievre defended the need for harsher penalties to ensure public safety.
