Reality check: Conservatives ‘refudiate’ latest crime statistics

In response to another fact-based smear campaign, the Conservatives are again on the offensive against Statistics Canada.

The Statistics Canada Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics reported yesterday that the crime rate in 2009 was 17% lower than ten years ago, and that the Crime Severity Index has decreased by 22% since 1999.

Far from applauding the news of lower crime rates, or even taking credit for them, the Minister of Public safety says that crime is on the rise: “Unfortunately, our safe streets and healthy communities are increasingly under threat of gun, gang and drug violence.” Winnipeg Free Press, 21 July 2010

And what does Conservative Senator Boisvenu have to say about positive news? “It’s as if the criminologists or the systems administrators have found a way of calculating the data to justify their jobs, or to justify status quo in laws and regulations.” (translation) La Presse, 21 July 2010

Have the Conservatives now left the reality based community? You betcha!