'The root cause': Canada outlines national action plan to fight auto theft
The federal government has outlined what it calls its "national action plan" to combat auto thefts, which will include stronger penalties for thieves, and increased information sharing between police agencies, government officials and border enforcement.
Several cabinet members announced the plan during a Monday morning news conference in Brampton, Ont. The plan primarily includes previously announced measures to fight auto theft, including increased funding for the border and various police agencies, and proposed Criminal Code amendments.
According to 2022 industry estimates released at the time, rates of auto theft had spiked in several provinces compared to the year before. In Quebec, thefts rose by 50 per cent. In Ontario, they were up 34.5 per cent.
Police services in the GTA reported an uptick of 104 per cent.
"We are adding new offences targeting auto theft and its links to violence and to organized crime," Attorney General of Canada Arif Virani told reporters Monday.
He says the government is proposing new offences targeting ringleaders of carjacking gangs, and those who launder the money garnered through organized crime. While the national action plan was the subject of Monday's news conference, a handful of proposals included in the plan were first introduced as part of the federal Liberals' Budget Implementation Act, 2024, which is officially titled C-69 and has not yet passed, and in the fall economic statement.
- READ MORE: Five weeks stand between MPs and the BBQ circuit, here's what the Liberals want to pass first
Most stolen cars are said to be sold overseas, particularly in Africa and the Mideast. Virani says the money from stolen vehicle sales is being used to fuel criminal activity in Canada.
"Those measures will help in the fight not just against organized crime, but against terrorist organizations as well," Virani said.
"This is largely about financial crimes and using the vehicle as a commodity to profit from," Bryan Gast of Equite, a non-profit that supports insurers to combat insurance crime, said in an interview Monday with CTV News Channel. "Being able to choke that financing off will have a downstream positive effect."
The 'root cause'
The plan would also allow courts to order someone to keep their bank account open to assist a police investigation, and bar financial institutions from closing that account if criminal activity is suspected.
"Investigations need to follow the money path. That is what we are doing with these changes," Virani said.
The federal government is proposing a new "aggravated factor" in sentencing, applied to adult offenders who involve a young person in their crimes. Virani says he hopes that will allow police to better target criminal gang leaders, rather than lower-ranked, and often far younger, members who do their bidding.
"Who is directing those youngsters? Who is directing that teenager? Who is orchestrating and providing the resources for that teenager?" he asked. "The root cause is not the actual teenager doing the theft. The root cause is the adult criminal who is leading them, or in fact forcing them, to do that crime."
So far this year, police have seized close to 1,200 stolen vehicles, according to Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who also spoke on Monday. Generally, most carjackings are carried out by violent street gangs, the federal government says.
Meanwhile, the federal Conservatives have tabled their own anti-theft legislation wrapped in Bill C-379: the Combating Motor Vehicle Theft Act. It's in its second reading in the House, meaning it is not yet law.
The bill would increase prison time for people found guilty of gang-related car theft for the third or subsequent time from six months to three years.
C-379 is part of a larger plan put forward by the Conservatives to combat theft, which party leader Pierre Poilievre detailed in February.
What about manufacturers?
Critics have also pointed to car manufacturers, demanding they do more to protect their vehicles from increasingly accessible theft devices.
RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme says officials are in talks with manufacturers to do that.
"They brought a couple devices you can buy (online)," said Duheme, speaking of a recent meeting with one unnamed company where they discussed the technological arms race between carmakers and thieves.
Equipment used to spoof wireless keys, which is available for purchase by criminals online, is constantly updated to dodge software updates from manufacturers trying to play whack-a-mole, Duheme said.
He added that carmakers appeared interested in stepping up their prevention efforts, adding that details from their talks with government would be released soon.
"If you look at a company whose car is regularly stolen, nobody is going to buy that car," he said.
With files from CTV News' Dorcas Marfo
Correction
A previous version of this article incorrectly identified Equite as an investigative firm. The company's description has been updated.
IN DEPTH
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6922467.1718138898!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Supports for passengers, farmers, artists: 7 bills from MPs and Senators to watch in 2024
When parliamentarians return to Ottawa in a few weeks to kick off the 2024 sitting, there are a few bills from MPs and senators that will be worth keeping an eye on, from a 'gutted' proposal to offer a carbon tax break to farmers, to an initiative aimed at improving Canada's DNA data bank.
Opinion
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6850735.1713368648!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6979388.1722030190!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Celine Dion delivers stirring comeback performance at Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Against the rainy Paris night sky, Celine Dion staged the comeback of her career with a powerful performance from the Eiffel Tower to open the Olympic Games.
Jasper wildfire: 'Several weeks' before residents can return, premier says
Premier Danielle Smith said Friday afternoon in Hinton while weather conditions are cooler, the Jasper fire is still considered out of control and that Jasper residents can expect to be away from their homes 'for several weeks.'
Missing 3-year-old boy found dead in creek in Mississauga, Ont.: police
A three-year-old boy has been found dead a day after he went missing in a park in Mississauga, Ont., Peel police say.
Irish museum pulls Sinead O'Connor waxwork after just one day due to backlash
An Irish museum will withdraw a waxwork of singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor just one day after installing it, following a backlash from her family and the public, it told CNN in a statement on Friday.
Winnipeg senior's account overdrawn for $146,000 water bill
A Winnipeg senior is getting soaked with a six-figure water bill.
FBI says Trump was indeed struck by bullet during assassination attempt
Nearly two weeks after Donald Trump’s near assassination, the FBI confirmed Friday that it was indeed a bullet that struck the former president’s ear, moving to clear up conflicting accounts about what caused the former U.S. president’s injuries after a gunman opened fire at a Pennsylvania rally.
Driver charged after flashing high beams at approaching police
Orillia OPP arrested and charged a driver with impaired driving after flashing their high beams.
Turpel-Lafond won't sue CBC over Cree heritage report that took 'heavy toll': lawyer
The lawyer for a former judge whose claims to be Cree were questioned in a CBC investigation says his client is not considering legal action against the broadcaster after the Law Society of British Columbia this week backed her claims of Indigenous heritage.
Major Canadian bank experiences direct deposit outage on payday
Scotiabank says it has fixed a technical issue that impacted direct deposits on Friday morning.
Local Spotlight
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6978272.1721953528!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
'She led it the whole way': 18-year-old B.C. woman leads hikers to safety in Jasper National Park
As fire threatened people in Jasper National Park, Colleen Knull sprung into action.
'There's mom and dad's house': New video appears to show destruction of Jasper neighbourhood
Video posted to social media on Thursday morning appears to show the charred remains of a Jasper, Alta., neighbourhood.
Sask. Second World War veteran, 103, receives France's highest national order
A Saskatchewan-born veteran of the Second World War was recently presented with France's highest national order.
Former First Nations chief voices Disney's first Ojibwe language Star Wars movie
A local First Nations elder and veteran is helping to bring the Ojibwe language to a well-known film for the first time.
Ottawa Humane Society reunites Montreal family with cat missing for 8 years
A cat who fled her Montreal home nearly a decade ago has been reunited with her family after being found in Ottawa.
Waterloo, Ont. woman out thousands after car totalled in hit-and-run
A woman in Waterloo, Ont. is out thousands of dollars for a car crash she wasn’t involved in.
'It looks scary, but they're harmless': Bees removed from Winnipeg street light
A swarm of bees living in a lamppost in Winnipeg’s Sage Creek neighbourhood has found a new home for its hive.
'Powerful symbol of the progress we have made': Land being returned to Manitoba Métis Federation
Around 100 acres of Manitoba Crown Land near the Saskatchewan border is being returned to the Métis community.
Cape Breton moose hunting suspended for 3 years due to 'significant' drop in population
Nova Scotia is suspending the licensed Cape Breton moose hunt for three years due to what the province is calling a “significant drop” in the population.