Vic Toews

honourable the Victor “Vic” Toews , C.P., (born the September 10th 1952) is a deputy with the House of Commons of Canada, representing district innate Manitoba of Provencher since 2000. He is Minister for Justice and public prosecutor of Canada in the cabinet of the Prime Minister Stephen Harper February 6th 2006 with the January 4th 2007. Formerly appointed with the legislative Parliament of Manitoba of 1995 with 1999, he was member of the cabinet of the Prime Minister manitobain Gary Filmon. Toews is member of the Conservative party of Canada.

Childhood and beginning of career

Toews is born with Fildelfia, with the Paraguay, parents Mennonites working in the area. The family settles with the Manitoba in 1956. Toews obtains a B.A. in history of the Université of Winnipeg in 1973, and a LL.B of the Université of Manitoba in 1976.

Toews joint with the provincial ministry for Justice in 1976 and becomes Crown attorney the following year. It is promoted at the position of director in constitutional Law for the province of Manitoba in 1987 and in this function it advises the government of Manitoba on the Accord of the lake Meech. It also chairs an expansion of the police capacities in the cases relating to intoxication at the wheel.

Toews is engaged by the University of Manitoba in 1987 as a lecturer and gives courses in law the labor. It leaves the cabinet of the prosecutor-general in 1991 to become to advise associated for Great-West Life Assurance; a prolonged leave is granted to him in 1995 when it launches out in policy.

In 1994, Toews denounces a decision of the Ontarian government of Bob Rae to prohibit the demonstrations in front of the private clinics of abortion. It qualifies the decision of " almost incroyable" and affirms that the government of Rae defies a " right guaranteed by the constitution" , adding that the decision went hand in hand with their social diary.

Provincial policy

First candidatures

Toews joint with the Left progressist-conservative Manitoba in 1989 and aspires to a post office elected for the first time at the provincial general election of 1990. It makes countryside in the district of Elmwood, in the North-West of Winnipeg, historically a bastion for the Nouveau Democratic party. Toews east demolishes by the outgoing deputy Jim Maloway by 1092 votes.

It again tries to be made elect under the progressist-preserving banner with the election of 1995 in the district of Rossmere in the north of Winnipeg. This time, it demolishes the deputy outgoing néo-democrat Harry Schellenberg by 117 votes.

Minister for Labor

Toews is named at the Council of Ministers of Filmon immediately after the election, becoming Minister for Labor the May 9th 1995. In its inaugural speech with the legislature, Toews affirms that its political philosophy was partly influenced by the leaders of the social democrat movement Canadian.

Toews maintenance of the difficult relationships to the trade-union groups, and is sometimes shown to preach anti-trade-union policies. At the beginning of 1996, it files in discussed the bill 26, which obliged the trade unions to reveal the wages of their employees and to indicate how the contributions were spent. Moreover, the law required that the votes of trade-union certification take place in the seven days following the application, and made it possible to the employees to prevent that their contributions are given to political parties. This last proposal was strongly disputed by the New Democratic party, which historically receives important gifts on behalf of the trade unions. The chief néo-democrat Gary Doer affirms that the law aims its party wrongfully and suggests that the shareholders of the companies have the same right to safeguard their investments of the gifts in favor (an initiative likely to weaken the liftings of funds of the progressist-conservatives). Toews denies that its bill is anti-trade-union and affirms that it granted more autonomy to the workers.

The ministry of Toews also proposes the privatization of the services of home care in 1996. This initiative is disputed by several people working in the medium, and leads to a strike of protest prolonged of the workers. Certain members of the opposition suggest that Toews was perhaps in conflict of interest on this question, since Great-West Life Assurance had planned to once launch out in the industry of the home care supplemented privatization. Several others burden are started during the year 1996, making say to a journalist who it was about the year most animated for the stakes since the General strike of Winnipeg in 1919.

Toews cancels the Funds of provincial payment of the Wages in July 1996, informant whom it did not reach to reach the goal. The funds had been creates to make it possible to the workers to touch their wages on behalf of the employers who had gone bankrupt.

Minister for Justice

The January 6th 1997, Toews is promoted at the post of minister of Al Justice, prosecutor-general and guard of the Large Seal, with the additional responsibility for the Constitutional deals.

Approaches towards the crime and the courts

Toews is made the reputation very quickly concentrate on questions of " law and of ordre". One of its first decisions is to grant to the superintendents prisons the right to institute complete prohibitions to smoke and random tests anti-doping on the prisoners, as well as the right to supervise the calls of the prisoners. A little later it introduces measurements aiming at the gangs of prison and the drug trafficking. In August 1998, it announces that its ministry would engage more Crown attorneys and would build seventy new beds for Headingley Correctional Institution in tentaive to imprison more dangerous criminals. Toews is opposed to the sentences conditional and the practice in Manitoba discourages some.

It also introduces a law to make legally the parents responsible for the crimes of their children. Members néo-democrats of the opposition counter that the plan would be ineffective, quoting experiments passed to the the United States like proof. Early in 1998, the government problame the Law on the rights of victims. The ministry for Justice and the Nouveau Democratic party support subsequently both the principle of a charter of the rights of the victims, which is voted later in the year.

Toews frequently criticizes the assessment of the liberal federal government on the question of the crime, but also supports a certain number of federal proposals. In March 1997, it supports the plan of the Minister federal for Justice Allan Rock to give to the police force greater capacities to aim at the groups of criminal motorcyclists. The following year, it is held at the sides of the federal minister Lloyd Axworthy to announce a plan to discourage the judgments of the non-violent criminals autochtones. Toews declares that the proposal would reduce the number of criminals recidivists and affirms that it is " sensitive to the needs for the community autochtone". It supports later a propositon for the integration of a cabin of indigenous rehabilitation in the provincial system of prison. On atures questions, Toews is more reticent to cooperate with the federal government. He announces in 1997 that Manitoba would not apply nor would not manage the new register of the firearms. Two years plas late, it qualifies modifications with the Federal law on the young contraveners of at the same time " ineffective and too dépensiers".

The relation between Toews and the courts was often tended. In 1999, it free a speech in Alberta Summit one Justice criticizing the judges who ventured too far in policy. He declares that the judges, contrary to the politicians, " are not well placed to include/understand and represent the values statutory, economic and policies of the public." Certain people in the assistance criticize this speech, and a representative of Legal Aid Society off Alberta qualifies it " sensational and explosif." Later this same year, a provincial judge criticizes Toews for what it describes as matter " vague and inducing in erreur" on the judiciaures nominations and the daily schedules of the judges.

Other political decisions

In May 1999, Toews announces that Manitoba would accept a decision of the Supreme court of Canada granting to the homosexual couples the marital benefit.

Criticisms

Toews and its minister were frequently the targets of criticisms of the opposition. The néo-democrats pled that the post offices of the Crown under-were financed during its mandate and sugérèrent that the capacity of the Crown of performer its duties of prosecutor was some compromised. These concerns become particularly strong after June 1997, when the Court of Appeal of Manitoba allows a man who had admitted to have had sexual relationships with a twelve year old girl to rather purge his sorrow in the community than in prison. While returning its decision, the court affirmed that the girl was participating consensual and had maturity to give her assent. Toews expressed serious reservations on the exit of the lawsuit, and asked for the authorization of carry the cause in call to the Supreme court of Canada.

The decision of Toews to carry the cause in call was not discussed, but the performance of the Crown in the original lawsuit quickly became a source of controversy. The critic néo-democrat as regards Justice, Gord Mackintosh, affirmat that the Crown had never to seek to counter the assertions of defense wanting that the girl had granted the sex act. The néo-democrats affirmed that a lack of financing of the department had led to a negligent continuation, and suggested that Toews was to assume its ministerial responsibility in this business. Four years more tards, an internal review concludes from it that the performance of the Crown at the time of the lawsuit had been in-on this side standards.

Toews is also shown to have misused the capacities of its station on at least two occasions. In May 1998, it is shown to be intervened in an inappropriate way in work of a legal committee of nomination by requiring that two names be added to the list of the judges proposed. He denies any fault, and affirms to have only acts to make sure that more bilingual judges are named.

The second controversy were potentially of more serious nature. During a legislative debate in June 1999, Toews announces that the spokesperson of the NPD as regards Justice, Gord Mackintosh, had called in a repeated way the hot line Street Peace and had hung up again before to have left a message. The advertisement was not serious in itself, but questions quickly made surface as for the way in which Toews had obtained information (the calls placed on laligne were to be confidential and anonymous). He admitted that the calls of the governmental buildings had been tracked, and that he had received the name of Mackintosh on behalf of a member of his department. The Filmon Prime Minister qualified the control of Toews of inappropriate, but its station of cabinet does not eject it. Toews was also constrained to admit that the line had remained without monitoring during several months. In spite of these controversies, Toews is remained one of the most important members of the Filmon government.

Election of 1999

The progressist-conservatives are demolished at the time of the general election of 1999 and Toews is personally demolishes in Rossmere, loser face has Harry Schellenberg by 294 votes. The redistribution had added a certain number of stations of poll favorable to the NPD, probably contributing to the victory of Schellenberg. Toews turns over to work at Great-West Life Assurance of 1999 with 2000.

Federal policy

Political Allégence

After having left the provincial policy, Toews turns to the federal scene and is implied in the movement for " to link the droite". It had called before with the co-operation between the Parti reformist Canada and the Parti progressist-conservative Canada whereas he was minister with the cabinet, although he openly did not support " the alternative unie" when it was announced in 1999.

A report/ratio published in May 2000 indicates that Toews was not member of any federal political party but was interested to work with the Canadian Alliance, the successor lately trained of the Party reformist which sought to attract itself the support of the progressist-conservatives Blue Tory. Toews supports supports the candidature of Long Tom for the nomination alliancist in June 2000 and support then the proposal of Brian Pallister to bring the Party progressist-conservative in co-operation with the new party.

Toews joint formally with Alliance in the previous months the Canadian federal election of 2000 and demolishes four other candidates for the nomination of the party in Provencher, an especially rural district in the south-east of Manitoba. It demolishes the outgoing liberal deputy David Iftody by a significant margin at the time of the election. The liberals gain a parliamentary majority, and Toews is named critical as regards Justice in the Shadow cabinet of the Official opposition.

Canadian Alliance is weakened by internal divisions in the middle of 2001, several deputies claiming the resignation of Stockwell Day of the post of head of the party. Toews remained rather neutral in this quarrel, but called with the discipline in attendat a formal review. When Day resigns, he works in the countryside of Grant Hill for the nomination of the party.

In 2003, Toews recommends that the members alliancists buy charts of member of the Party progressist-conservative to support the candidature of Jim Prentice, a candidate with the direction of the Party PC which preached the co-operation with Alliance. Toews denied that this constituted unsuitable interférance and affirmed that the members of the two parties should be encouraged with worked together.

Political vision

As criticism as regards Justice of 2001 with 2005, Toews frequently shows the liberal government to be diffuse on the question of criminality. It supports the decision of the government subsequently to create a national of the sex criminals in 2002, but critical register the register because this one was not retroactive to include the names of the criminals condemned before to the creation of the register. It called with more severe sentences obligatory minima and criteria for the access to the release on paroles for the criminals violent one.

Toews criticized some decisions of the Supreme court, and on an occasion showed old the judge as a chief Antonio Lamer to govern a " frenzy of experimentation constitutionnelle". He preaches official reviews of the judiciares nominations, affirming that the political positions of the judges should be known of the public before taking up duty.

At the time of 20th of the Canadian Charter of the rights and freedoms in 2002, Toews speaks favorably about the Charter like " a powerful brake with the capacity of the government to involve itself in an unreasonable way in our rights and libertés". It also called with the increased use by the governments of the derogatory clause included in the charter to reverse decisions of the courts. Toews affirmed specifically that the derogatory clause would have being used to reverse a court order which had weakened the laws on the youthful Pornographie. (The liberal government introduced a law to cure the situation, however without making use of the derogatory clause).

Toews was initially regarded as moderate in Canadian Alliance, even if it were to later support several preserving causes on the social plan. He is opposed vocally to the homosexual marriage, and affirmed that a change with the definition of the marriage in Canada could result in legalization from the Bigamie. In 2005, it launched a prolonged filibustier to slow down a work of committee on the question of the homosexual marriage. Toews is also opposed to the law C-250, which was introduced in 2003 to make sexual orientation a category protected under the Canadian legislation on the heinous crimes. He affirms that the law could be used to restrict the freedom of expression and the freedom of religion.

Toews also said that the religious organizations should have the right to interdir with the homosexual organizations the use of their places, and preaches the increase in the age of sexual assent from 14 to 16 years. It continues to be opposed to the federal register firearms like with the decriminalisation of the Cannabis.

Preserving deputy

The Canadian Alliance and the Parti progressist-conservative amalgamate to form the Conservative party of Canada in 2004. Toews joint with the new party and works as organizer of the Manitoba to support the candidature of Stephen Harper to become the first chief of the new party. He is easily re-elected at the time of the general election of 2004, on the occasion of which the liberals are reduced at a minority government. After the election, it retains its station of criticism as regards Justice for the Official opposition.

The January 25th 2005, it pleads guilty with the charge to have exceeded the limits of personal expenditure at the time of its countryside for the provincial election of 1999. Toews affirms that the surplus resulted from a lack of communication between its countryside and the provincial party on the method to enter the expenditure. Some claim its resignation as a spokesperson as regards Justice, but it did not have a continuation. Toews receives a fine 500 $ and the judgment remains on its file.

A survey of the Winnipeg Free Close in December 2005 showed that Toews was the most popular choice to replace Stuart Murray with the head of the progressist-conservatives of Manitoba. Toews decided not to aspire to the station, and is re-elected without difficulty at the time of the Canadian federal election of 2006.

Federal minister for Justice

The conservatives gain a minority mandate at the time of the election of 2006. The February 6th 2006, the Prime Minister Stephen Harper names Toews Minister for Justice and prosecutor-general of Canada. It is replaced the January 4th 2007 by Robert Nicholson.

Various facts

Questioned on its preferences of reading in 1996, Toews recently stated to have read again The Sheltering Sky of Paul Bowles. He is also a fan of Winnipeg Fringe Festival.

Toews has a certain resemblance to Jack Layton, chief of the Nouveau federal Democratic party. In 2003, it temporarily shaved its moustache in order to prevent confusion. It subsequently took part in a comic sketch with Layton with the dinner of the gallery of the parliamentary press in 2004.

External bonds

Official site
federal political Experiment - Library of the Parliament

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