Poilievre proposes mandatory prison terms for extortion-related crimes similar to those reported in Abbotsford

SURREY — Pierre Poilievre says a Conservative government will establish mandatory minimum prison sentences for people convicted of extortion.

The opposition leader says extortion-related crime has skyrocketed with police in multiple provinces dealing with organized crime threats against businesses. The threats began to come to the public’s attention in November, 2023 when Abbotsford police revealed its officers were investigating a number of threats to local businesses.

Poilievre’s remarks were delivered in a commercial centre in Surrey, where police  say shots were fired at a business in November.

Poilievre says the Conservatives would impose mandatory minimum sentences of three years on anyone convicted of extortion, and five years for someone found to be “acting on behalf of gangs or organized crime.”