OTTAWA, June 10, 1999 The Honourable Don Boudria, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, on behalf of the Honourable Anne McLellan, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today introduced in the House of Commons legislation to amend the Criminal Code provision dealing with impaired driving causing death. This Bill, C-87, would increase the maximum sentence for that offence to life imprisonment from the current 14 years.

This amendment was not included in Bill C-82, an Act to amend the Criminal Code (impaired driving), which is being fast-tracked and was passed in the House of Commons yesterday. Bill C-82 is now in the Senate.

"Removing the provision on life imprisonment and introducing it as separate legislation will allow for greater opportunity to debate the pros and cons while fast-tracking the other provisions through the House," said Minister McLellan. "This is a good compromise that will let us make important changes to the law on impaired driving before the summer recess," said the Minister.

Mr. Boudria reached an agreement with House Leaders from all parties on June 8 that allowed Bill C-82 to move forward without the life imprisonment provision, as long as that provision was dealt with in separate legislation.

This new amendment will be debated in the fall.