680 NewsRadio has learned that Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie will pledge to fund the police in a speech on Thursday to the Police Association of Ontario (PAO).
Crombie also takes aim at Premier Doug Ford’s record on violent crime in the address, which appears to try to frame her as a law and order candidate.
“I am going to fund the police. We need to fund our police,” Crombie’s speech is expected to read.
The provincial Liberal leader is making her stance clear on an issue with which Premier Ford has targeted other politicians.
In the lead-up to the last Toronto mayoral race in March 2023, Premier Ford said, “They’re sitting councillors who voted to defund the police. The people who voted for defunding the police don’t vote for them, simple as that. We can’t have anarchy in our cities.”
Crombie also uses her speech to go after Ford’s record on crime.
“We know people worry that bail conditions are too weak and our courts are too backed up to keep criminals off our streets. These failures may not have started with the current Conservative government. But they have become much, much worse because of this government’s indifference and neglect.”
Premier Ford and his ministers have repeatedly called on the federal government to make bail-related changes, including eliminating bail for certain offences and implementing a “three-strike rule” for repeat offenders.
“Premier Ford is quick to point a finger and blame others,” says Crombie. “But the reality is that on his watch, violent crime is the worst it’s been in nearly two decades.
“We need to keep violent, repeat offenders off our streets by advocating for stricter bail reform,” she adds.
Conservative strategists were quick to criticize the Crombie speech.
“All of this is on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, not Doug Ford; Bonnie Crombie should know that,” says Laryssa Waler, founder of Henley Strategies.
“She should be more focused on asking her Federal Liberal cousins for real action to keep our communities safe.”