John,



Earlier this month in Peterborough (ON), a store clerk was arrested after defending himself against a violent robber.



In the wee hours of the night, a man entered the store demanding money and brandishing a baseball bat.



According to police, a struggle ensued and the store clerk was struck with the bat before disarming his assailant.



The store clerk forced the robber to flee, striking him several times with the bat.



The store clerk was subsequently arrested and charged with aggravated assault…



This is the Canada we live in today. Where Canadians should not only be afraid of bat-wielding savages, but they should also be afraid of the legal system if they dare to defend themselves!



This is so completely wrong!



We need to enshrine a right to self-defence in Canada.



Other parties are willing to talk about crime, but there is never any discussion about Canadians’ right to self defence.



Unlike Americans, Canadians do not currently have a clear legal right to defend themselves.



As such, those who defend themselves or their families are often punished by the legal system.



They may be told that they used force that was not deemed “reasonable in the circumstances” or “proportionate to the perceived threat.”



Condemning a person to years in prison for having made the wrong assessment of a “perceived threat,” or having used too much force to defend themselves while in a state of panic after being violently attacked, is clearly a breach of the universal human right to self-defence.



It doesn’t take a lawyer or a constitutional scholar to realize this is fundamentally, morally wrong.



Last year, I announced the new PPC policy on self-defence.



I believe that Canadians should be able to defend themselves in circumstances where they are violently attacked or are victims of robbery in their own homes, without fear of criminal charges.



And that everybody, women in particular, should be allowed to carry effective means of self-defence against aggressors and rapists.



A People’s Party government will:



- Amend section 34 of the Criminal Code to clarify and fortify the right to self-defence, and increase the burden of proof necessary to charge and convict victims who used force to defend themselves against a violent attacker.

- Amend section 35 of the Criminal Code to include the concept of the inviolability of one’s home, known as “Castle Doctrine,” that allows victims to use force (up to and including deadly force) to defend themselves against a violent intruder, free from legal prosecution.

- Amend the Criminal Code to remove pepper spray from the list of prohibited weapons and make it legal to possess and carry it for self-defence.



These simple changes would make Canada safer for everyone.



Help me implement this common sense policy with an $18 donation today! <[link removed]>



Cheers,

-Max



P.S.: If you have trouble finding where you can donate, you can just click this link! [link removed]



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PPC - Gatineau, QC, Canada

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