'Been on both sides': Edmonton mayoral hopeful Jaffer wants cities to press Ottawa on bail reform

OTTAWA — An Edmonton mayoral hopeful known for his own highly publicized brush with the law says he wants cities to lead the charge for tougher federal bail laws.

Rahim Jaffer, who’ll be standing as an independent in next month’s civic election, said that the Liberal government’s loosening of bail rules has made recidivism a growing problem in Edmonton.

“We’ve seen police in particular find it very hard to do their jobs when they’re having to deal day in, day out with the same handful of repeat offenders, who keep ending up back on the street,” said Jaffer.

Jaffer said he’s tired of seeing “unfortunate stories in the news,” like July’s stabbing and vehicular assault spree carried out by a 32-year-old Edmonton man who’d made bail less than two weeks earlier.

And he’s betting that he’s far from the only big-city politician who’s fed up.

Jaffer announced last week that, if he becomes Edmonton’s mayor, he’ll form a coalition with like-minded cities to pressure Ottawa to make bail harder to get for violent and repeat offenders.

He followed up on Tuesday with an open letter calling on municipalities across Canada to demand “urgent” federal action on bail reform.

“This is not about politics – it’s about protecting our communities and fixing a system that has failed too many, too often … It’s time for cities to stand united and demand the changes Canada needs,” wrote Jaffer.

Jaffer told National Post that his four terms as a federal MP makes him the right man to lead the initiative.

“With something like bail reform, so much of getting it right comes down to coordinating effectively, and I’ve seen that proper coordination from the other side of the table,” said Jaffer.

He recalls that he and other Edmonton-area MPs like Rona Ambrose would meet regularly in the 2000s with the mayor and council to discuss criminal justice and other issues of shared jurisdiction.

“I think it’s sad we’ve seen that spirit of multi-level cooperation fall by the wayside in recent years, with the mayor and some of the councillors acting in a more openly partisan manner,” said Jaffer.

Jaffer said that much of the blame for the city’s current isolation lies at the feet of “lame duck” Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, who paused his duties earlier this year to run unsuccessfully as a Liberal in the recent federal election.

“There’s been no real leadership (under Sohi) and really no one at the table coordinating effectively with other levels of government,” said Jaffer.

Jaffer, who was elected Canada’s first Muslim MP in 1997, said that he was especially uncomfortable with aspects of Liberal bail laws that encourage judges to set a lower bar for Indigenous offenders and those who are part of other groups that are “overrepresented” in penal institutions.

“When you’re creating different standards for different groups of people, you’re diluting the concept of personal responsibility in our criminal justice system,” said Jaffer.

Staying on the topic of personal responsibility, Jaffer said that his own high-profile 2009 arrest for drunk driving and cocaine possession doesn’t disqualify him from being a credible messenger for law and order.

To the contrary, he insists it makes him even better suited for the role.

“I would take the opposite view and say, look, here’s someone who’s been on both sides of the fence when it comes to dealing with issues that are tough sometimes. And of course, I paid a personal price,” said Jaffer.

“Experiencing those lows and that adversity really rounds out somebody, especially if they’ve learned from those experiences,” he added.

Jaffer quietly played stay-at-home dad to son Zavier after the spotlight from his arrest faded. He later reengaged with some of his family’s local businesses, eventually rising to owner and operator of Whyte Ave. eatery Rooster Kitchen & Bar.

Jeromy Farkas, who’s running for mayor in Calgary, says he’s intrigued by Jaffer’s idea of a city-led coalition for bail reform.

“I’d welcome more details on the specifics of what Mr. Jaffer is proposing, but I can say that there’s a huge need here in Calgary for common sense bail reform that prioritizes public safety and keeping dangerous people off the streets,” said Farkas.

Farkas said that one of Calgary’s most vexing public safety issues is that it’s “the same 50 to 100 individuals” who create much of the social disorder in the city’s downtown core.

“We need to address the root causes of crime, but we also need to get tough on the individuals who are responsible for most of the issues,” said Farkas.

The Liberal government is expected to introduce major crime legislation when Parliament resumes later this month.

National Post rmohamed@postmedia.com

• Premiers expect Ottawa to table bail reform legislation this fall
• Justice minister says he doesn't like 'soft on crime' slogans, but won't 'diminish' those concerns

Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.