B.C. Premier David Eby says he'll be pushing for federal U.S.-style anti-racketeering laws to target a spate of extortion and other organized crime when premiers meet next week.
Eby says a recent U.S. investigation that resulted in the indictment of three B.C. residents highlights the need for such laws in Canada, and he'll be pushing the idea at the Council of the Federation meeting and first ministers’ meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney next week.
He says civil liberties groups would probably oppose such measures, and expansions of police authority should be tested, but there is a need to balance those concerns with preserving public safety.
Eby adds there needs to be a federal framework to target facilitators of crime who are currently operating legally, similar to U.S. anti-racketeering and anticorruption laws known as the RICO Act.
He says Canada doesn’t have the full capacity to protect citizens and their right to live in peace, and RICO-style laws are “something we should try.”
The U.S. Justice Department last week announced the arrests of 24 suspects around the world, including three in B.C. who now face extradition, in connection with offences by India-based criminal groups.
