Vancouver calls for tougher hate crime enforcement

Vancouver's City Council has voted unanimously to demand the Provincial hate crime program be beefed up. The Canadian Jewish Congress made a formal request to the city, stating the provincial program needs to enhance monitoring, data collection, and training for police. All of this is news now due to the recent sentancing in the trial for Aaron Webster's killers. The Crown did not present the killing as a hate crime nor did the Judge make it so.

We have a Hate Crime Law in BC and Canada. The Provincial Attorney General's department made a clear decision not to use it in the Webster case. That decision was made even when faced with the following facts;

The four people charged (three were convicted) decided to go down to a popular gay cruising area, took with them instruments to beat someone with, came across Webster and proceeded to beat him, ultimately they killed him.

The Campbell Liberals are generally less than supportive of hate crime laws and it is my opinion they did not want to see a hate crime label attached to this case. It would certainly would not have been good news for the Liberals among their support base of social conservatives.

The BC Attorney General had the opportunity to address this issue and choose not too. Homophobia is denied by this government, even some of their MLAs are gay, makes wonder about these gay Liberal MLAs doesn't it.
Egale has demanded a public inquiry: See more here.

Egale Canada is a national organization that advances equality and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans-identified people and their families across Canada