REGINA – Saskatchewan says it wants to suspend government benefits to violent offenders who have warrants out for their arrest.
The Saskatchewan Party government introduced legislation today that would cut off people’s provincial benefits if they have an active warrant, or make them ineligible.
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Public Safety Minister Christine Tell says the bill is in response to the mass stabbings in September on James Smith Cree Nation and in the nearby village of Weldon.
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Eleven people died, and 18 others were injured.
The suspect, Myles Sanderson, had a warrant out for his arrest at the time of the killings.
Tell says the proposed bill would create a warrant intelligence team to work with other government agencies and police to ensure taxpayers aren’t funding criminal lifestyles.
The government says the law is expected to come into force next year.
Existing legislation in British Columbia and Manitoba similarly restricts benefits for offenders with outstanding warrants.
