The car theft debate is a battle over slogans and solutions

Pierre Poilievre enjoys a punchy phrase, so it's not surprising that a large part of his response to the rise in car thefts rests on the words «jail, not bail.» According to the Conservative leader, those three words are key to eliminating the «crime and chaos» that has been unleashed.

Lacking their own snappy lines, the Liberals have taken to trying to use Poilievre's lines against him — arguing, essentially, that slogans are all he has and that the problems of today require much more than a three-word answer.

«We're convening this summit because Canadians need serious action,» Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at the opening of Thursday's meeting of federal, provincial and municipal officials, along with representatives of the insurance and automotive industries. «A catchy slogan won't stop auto theft. A two-minute YouTube video won't disrupt organized crime.»

The summit was, if nothing else, a chance for the Liberals to be seen taking the issue seriously. But if they want to beat back Poilievre's slogans, they need to demonstrate that «serious action.»

To that end, Thursday's event suggested how much might go into fully responding to the problem — including amendments to the Criminal Code.

There's bipartisan consensus on the need for urgency, at least; the Liberals and Conservatives have been competing over the past month to see who can appear more on top of the issue.

The Conservative leader claims the problem can be traced to the change of government in 2015.

«Since [Trudeau's] government was elected in 2015, there's been a 34 per cent nationwide increase in car theft,» Poilievre said this week.

The increase is indisputable. But Poilievre's math doesn't seem to account for population growth — and his phrasing hides how