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“They’re talking about moving away from very harsh sentences that were handed down for, in some cases, simple possession. That we’ve already done, but there will remain very severe penalties in the U.S., in fact more severe than in Canada, for trafficking in narcotics and that is an area in which our government feels very strongly.”

Despite cuts to prisoner work programs and new rules that make it harder for ex-convicts to obtain pardons, MacKay maintains Canada’s approach is “balanced” and “doesn’t lose sight of the need to rehabilitate.”

He chalks up most of the criticism to “partisan rhetoric,” and suggests those who say mandatory minimum sentences, the removal of house arrest for certain offenses and the increased use of double-bunking in prisons all point to a move towards an American style of justice “just have it wrong.”

That said, MacKay maintains he’s more than just a sympathetic face to spearhead the government’s victims crusade — the next big item on the government’s law and order agenda.

He’s got big plans for the portfolio that include re-branding impaired driving, modernizing the extradition process and updating the Supreme Court Act.

“We’re looking at legislation that will send a very strong message about how serious (impaired driving) is,” he said, noting that includes drug impairment.

He said changing the Criminal Code offence for impaired driving causing death to “vehicular manslaughter, for example, would better reflect society’s “abhorrence” of impaired driving. Making breathalyzer ignition devices mandatory on new vehicles, he added, is also something that could assist police who say impaired charges take up a lot of time and expense.