Justice minister says door is open to tougher penalties for auto theft

Canada's justice minister says he's looking at options for increasing the penalties for car theft, after the federal government convened a national summit on the issue.

In an interview that aired Sunday on Rosemary Barton Live, Virani said solving the problem of rising car thefts was a priority for the government.

"One of the principal aspects of the Criminal Code is acting as a deterrent for criminal behaviour — we need to be understanding that and how we can improve the tools in the code to emphasize that deterrent effect," he told CBC chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton.

"I'm taking a deep dive into that legislation," he said.

"People have also talked to me about potentially raising the maximum penalty, and also looking at when weapons are involved. These are all factors that I'm considering quite closely."

The federal government says an estimated 90,000 cars are stolen annually in Canada, resulting in about $1 billion in costs to Canadian insurance policy-holders and taxpayers.

The issue has now become a major political question, with the government convening the national summit this week and the Conservatives putting forward their own potential solutions on the issue.

Just before the summit, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre proposed a suite of legal reforms to increase penalties for car theft, including tougher restrictions and penalties for repeat offenders.

"Canadians don't need another summit, they need a common-sense plan to stop the theft and end the crime," he said Monday.

Speaking to Barton, Virani noted there is a mandatory minimum penalty for auto theft, with a minimum of six months in jail for those convicted of a third offence. There's also a maximum penalty for summary conviction auto theft offences, which the government increased in 2019 to two years, up from 18 months.

Law enforcement and other officials have identified organized crime as a major driving force behind car thefts, with a well-organized system of theft and export set up through major hubs like the port of Montreal.

Over the course of the week, law enforcement described a system in which some people — often minors — are recruited to identify and steal vehicles before they are transported out of Canada.

"This is a game of cat and mouse. These are sophisticated, international organized crime groups that are constantly trying to stay one step ahead of manufacturers by investing in technologies that will effectively break through the security systems," Brian Kingston, head of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association, told CBC Radio's The House.

Virani said he would prioritize measures that would address the core issue of auto theft — the prevalence of organized crime — and not just the most obvious culprits.