Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew joins other premiers in denouncing a Supreme Court of Canada ruling on child pornography.
Last week, the high court ruled that mandatory minimum one-year prison sentences for accessing or possessing child pornography are unconstitutional.
Conservative politicians such as Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Ontario Premier Doug Ford have demanded that Ottawa overturn the decision with the notwithstanding clause.
Kinew, a new Democrat, says he supports Smith, Ford and others, and feels the court ruling makes no sense to the average person.
He says criminals should not only go to prison, but should be denied protective custody and buried in prison.
In a 5-4 decision, the high court said minimum sentences eliminate judges’ discretion to impose sentences other than prison when appropriate.
“Images and videos of child sexual abuse are one of the worst things anyone can do,” Kinew told reporters on Monday.
“Not only should [you] If you go to prison for a long time, they should bury you under the prison. You shouldn’t get protective custody. “They should include you in the general population, if you know what I mean.”
Kinew recently introduced a bill that would require judges to weigh each time the Manitoba government invokes the notwithstanding clause to override Charter rights.
The judges would not have the power to stop the government, but would issue an opinion on whether the bill would be unconstitutional if not for the notwithstanding clause.
Manitoba has never invoked the notwithstanding clause, which allows governments to override certain Charter rights.
Kinew recently criticized the use of the clause by Quebec, Alberta and Saskatchewan, saying the governments of those provinces were using it to attack the rights of vulnerable people.
The Saskatchewan government has invoked the provision in a law that prevents children under 16 from changing their names or pronouns at school without their parents’ consent.
The Alberta government used the clause last week as part of a bill ordering striking teachers to return to work.
Quebec used the notwithstanding clause to prohibit some public sector workers in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols while at work.
