I read this morning’s Globe headline Tories try to connect Martin to child porn with a sinking feeling. The restraint the Conservatives have shown, even in the face of the Liberal ad campaign, has been one of their most effective tactics, in my opinion. Trying to connect a popular politician, like Martin, with child porn, is a risky tactic with high potential to bomerang back on you, in my opinion.
The Tories were trying to make a point though. That point was simply that the Liberals have been dragging their feet on passing legislation to tighten the child pornography laws for sometime. Justice Minister Martin Cauchon’s bill has twice been shelved because it could not be passed before the end of a legislative session. Opposition motions to ban all child pornography have routinely been voted down by the government as well, presumably because their own legislation was working it’s way through the system.
Sentencing guidelines are also too lenient. Convicted of possessing over 400 images of young boys in sexualized poses, Vancouver resident Robin Sharpe got 4 months of house arrest.
The Tories point is that the Liberal record is one of inaction. The Liberals have been soft on child porn, and deserve to be called to account for it.
Alec Saunders is the Vice President of Developer Relations for BlackBerry make Research in Motion. This is his personal blog, with his personal viewpoints. Prior to this Alec was the CEO and co-founder of Calliflower — the easiest way to hold a meeting, online, on a conference call, or on the go. A double-decade veteran of product management and marketing, he spent nine years at Microsoft where he helped launch Windows 95, the first two versions of Internet Explorer, the Universal Plug and Play initiative, the push into home markets, opt-in email marketing and what might well go down in history as the very first direct email list ever.
